A Crazy Christmas Day!

Our Christmas Tree and a little
Hayden in there too!

We have tried over the years to spread our Christmas celebrations out over a few days, just to limit the chaos of it all. When we were first dating and married, we would do a whirlwind of Christmas gatherings all in one day and we vowed that we would not do that once we had children. Well, this year it finally happened that we had to break that promise and had one of those crazy Christmas days where you are beyond exhausted by the end of the day, but know it's a good exhaustion because of a day well spent with family.

And the stockings all hung with care

Santa made his annual stop at the Wright house on Christmas morning and I am loving the fact that our children still love their sleep more than presents! I thought for sure this year Abigail and Mitchell would be banging down their door, ready to rush down the stairs to see their new treasures, however, they surprised Steve and I both and slept until their regular 7:30-8am. Due to my limitations from my surgery, Steve ran downstairs to plug the tree and other lights in and then ran back up to trade me the camera for carrying Hayden down. The first stop for Abigail and Mitchell was the plate of cookies they had left Santa, they were so excited to see that he had only left crumbs and a little bit of milk. Then they turned and there was tons of screaming when they realized the new gifts that had been left by the big man in red. Hayden toddled over to see what all the fuss was about and then quickly lost interest and settled in with his morning sippy cup of milk while his brother and sister went crazy! Abigail was beyond thrilled that she received her new vanity and Baby Alive doll that she had wished for and Mitchell loved his new castle and Hot Wheel track. And even Hayden was all grins for his new just-his-size race track and his favorite, new sippy cups!

Santa's loot!

After all the wrapping paper was torn off and new treasures revealed, including lots of new Leapfrog stuff and accessories for their Santa gifts, we all hurriedly got ready and dressed to head to Grandma Jones' house for Steve's extended family's Christmas celebration. There we all crammed in to a small area and settled in for the tradition of the Christmas story being read by Steve's dad and then more presents being ripped into. We enjoyed a lunch with lots of yummy foods and then packed up our crew to head south to my parent's house for our Christmas celebration with my side of the family. We again tore into presents and ooh-ed & aah-ed over what everyone received and then ate yet another wonderful meal of awesome home cooking.

Kids in their Christmas PJ's on Christmas morning!

Daddy & his boys at Grandma Jones

So, although we were on the go most of the day and our kids were out of their routine, it was such a blessing to be able to share another holiday with our families. Steve and I are very fortunate to have both of our parents live close by and that we don't have to travel far each holiday to see them. Our kids love seeing their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins and of course opening tons of gifts! It was indeed a crazy Christmas, but it was ours and we loved every minute of it!

All 3 kiddos on Christmas Eve after our candle light service at church

A Very Good Night!

3 kids + 2.5 hour wait to see the big man in red + 2 days before Christmas at the mall = a FUN night!!

I would not think the above equaled to a really fun evening, but surprisingly it did! We made a last minute decision to brave the crazy crowds around town and especially at the mall, to visit with Santa. Abigail and Mitchell were beyond ecstatic to get to see Santa and sit on his jolly old lap! We had actually been to the mall earlier today with Nana and caught a peek at Santa, but due to the time of the day and naps quickly approaching for the boys, we had to bypass the lines and head home. Abigail was so disappointed to be so close to him, but not get a chance to sit on his lap and tell him her wishes for Christmas and how good she had been this year. It broke my heart to see her little face, so full of disappointment, but putting on a brave look since she is the older sister. I called Steve later in the day and told him what had happened, and being the good Daddy that he is, he agreed to meet us at the mall after work to fulfill their wish.

We found out that it was a 2.5 hour wait to just get in line and almost turned around and went home, but just couldn't disappoint them again. So, we took our pager in hand and ventured on to eat some dinner and wander through the very packed mall! We were prepared for some meltdowns and tears, but everyone had a great time and we just enjoyed the wonderful company of our children. Even Hayden, who went well beyond bedtime, was good as could be! It's those kind of spur of the moment, fun evenings, that make you just sit back and smile!

But my favorite part of our family date night had nothing to do with the decorations at the mall or even Santa himself. It had to do with a conversation over dinner with Abigail, that made my heart beam with love and awe. We were talking about all the excitement of Christmas and getting to see Santa and Abigail stopped me and said "Mommy, but you know that this is not what Christmas is all about, right?" I told her yes, I know, but prompted her to tell me what she meant. She then began to explain to me that this is all fun, but the true meaning of Christmas is about baby Jesus' birth and that God loved us so much that he sent his only son for us (these are her exact words!) I sat there in complete silence as she continued explaining to me about Mary & Joseph's travels to Bethlehem and their troubles once they arrived and about how Jesus grew into a man and then how he died. We talked about the crucifixion then and she asked some questions about what happened and then told me "Mommy, don't be sad though because Jesus rose from the dead so that we could live forever with him & God. And they are always in our heart and that is what Christmas is all about, having Jesus in our heart".

I have heard many messages and sermons about the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, but hearing that story spoken from the lips of my 5 year old daughter, is hands down the best version I have ever heard! Then to top it off, I asked her if she learned all this at church and she said no, she knows all this from Mommy and Daddy! It's always amazing to know your children are listening to you, but to know she is listening and taking in the most important information we could give her is priceless!

This is the end result! It took all of 1 minute, but was so worth it!
My 3 blessings!

So, I will have to say, this family date night will go down in the books as an amazing evening, in more ways than one!

Momma is out of commission

It is never fun when Mommy is sick, but when Momma is down from a surgery and cannot do anything, things really get interesting!

December 3rd I had a major abdominal surgery and I have a recovery time of about 6 weeks. Because it was an abdominal surgery, I am unable to do much of anything. No cleaning, no lifting, bending, twisting, no picking up Hayden. It has been tough, especially not getting to pick Hayden up, and then there is the pain factor that I have been dealing with and trying to manage.

I have to say though, I feel so blessed. I have an amazing husband that has really stepped up and has been doing a fantastic job, even being completely out of his element. He took off work for the past 10 days to be here at home to not only take care of the kids, but to also be my personal nurse, making sure I took all my medications on time and helping me get up and around. He has also had to take on my other roles, and has been doing laundry, cleaning and keeping up with the rest of the things around the house. I am also blessed with great friends, who have all chipped in to bring us meals every other day and to also call or text to check on me daily. What a wonderful feeling to know how loved you are!

I still have a long road to recovery ahead, but each day I feel stronger and more like myself. Steve will be heading back to work tomorrow, so I am on my own, but again with the love of our friends, I will not have to take care of the kids. Several friends have volunteered to take the kids during the day, as I am still very limited in my movement and activity. I know that I am one lucky woman and that God has blessed me in abundance with an amazing family and wonderful friends and that is the only way that I have made it through the past week and will continue to recover!

Reliving my Youth

Tonight was such a fun night for me! I played in my first high school alumni basketball game in my hometown and it was a blast! And I now actually have the privilege of saying that I played in the Inaugural Carroll County Lady Panthers Alumni Game and hope to make it an annual tradition!

Basketball was my life when I was younger. I started playing in elementary school and by middle school I lived and breathed basketball and that love for the game continued on throughout high school. I was on the varsity team my freshman year and by my sophomore year I was a starter. I was blessed to have some God-given talent on my side and athleticism, so that led me to be quite successful and came out of my high school career with numerous awards and honors. But all that pales in comparison to what I was able to experience at tonight's game.

Tonight I got to play a game I love, and haven't played in years, with fellow alumni that were out to have a good time. Some that I had played with during my years in high school and others that had graduated ahead of and behind me, that I was playing with for the first time. But the best part is that I got to play in front of my husband and children and it was awesome! I heard Abigail and Mitchell cheering me on from the sidelines and heard their sweet voices yelling "Go Mommy!" and "Just do your best Mommy!" And I saw my husband giving me thumbs up and full of pride as I ran up and down the court. Gone were the pressures of scoring and winning that I had experienced during high school, and in its' place were the immense feelings of gratitude and love.

The kiddos and I before the game

All the Lady Panther Alumni and coaches

Me attempting to still have a shot and getting to wear my old number again!

I am so grateful that I still have the ability to get out there and play and also that I get to share it with my family. Abigail even said, after watching me, that she no longer wants to be a cheerleader but now wants to play basketball, that was music to my ears! I hope that I am blessed to play again next year and can continue to show my children that if you put your heart into something, you can always make it happen. I didn't think that 12 years later I would be able to hit the basketball court again and am so proud that I did!

Gatlinburg Mini-Vacation!

We have never vacationed this time of year, but I have to say that it may be my new favorite time to have a little getaway! We left for a fun-filled 5 days and 4 nights in the beautiful Great Smokey Mountains Friday and just returned last night. We also did something completely new to us and vacationed with 5 other families, 4 of which we had never met before! The trip is an annual event for a good friend of mine that I have made at the gym and they were down a family, so she invited us to go along with them and it was one of the best times that we have had vacationing with others!

The chalet we stayed in was amazing, nestled on top of a mountain and had all the amenities you can imagine, including hot tubs, expansive decks overlooking the woods with rockers and swings to enjoy the view, a huge 19 foot TV screen that dropped down from the trees and fireplaces all over the place.  It was also gigantic, a 6 bedroom/6.5 bath chalet, which made a perfect spot for 6 separate families. In all there were 12 adults and 16 kids that ranged from ages 16 down to Hayden at 13 months. A large group of kids, that would seem to be chaotic, but they actually all got along great and entertained each other.

The entire trip was basically about relaxation, which included two full days hibernating in the chalet. The kids ran around and played non-stop and the adults were able to eat tons of food, watch football and play cards. But we also made time to see some sights that are unique to Gatlinburg.  We visited the Titanic Exhibit, ate at the Apple Barn, spent a day at Ober Gatlinburg, browsed the shops of downtown Gatlinburg, and of course did some outlet shopping! It was the perfect amount of time to be away, coupled with great company and a good mix of activity and downtime.

Watching some college football on Saturday

The kitchen with all the grub!

Beautiful view from Mt. Harrison

Our family at the top of Mt. Harrison (Hayden is zonked out on me!)

We all enjoyed our mini-vacation and loved getting to spend time away from the hectic everyday life we can sometimes get overwhelmed with. It was also nice this time of year, where the holidays are upon us and with that comes even more craziness than usual. The kids enjoyed making new friends and being out of their daily routine and Steve and I had a great time getting to spend some time with other adults, but also getting family time with the kids. We hope that we will be able to make the trip again next year and have the opportunity to make more memories with a fun group of people in a beautiful setting!

Some things never get old

When it comes to your kids, any of the "firsts" never get dull. We have watched our older two children learn to walk and experienced all the excitement and elation watching them wobble and teeter and finally take those first steps, and now we are getting to go through the experience with Hayden and we are as giddy as when we first watched Abigail and Mitchell.

We have been anxiously awaiting Hayden's first steps, knowing that he was building up his confidence to step out and try it on his own. He has been cruising around furniture and walls for months now and lately has been a wild man with his walker, but had never ventured out without a safety net, until tonight.

Oh, those first steps are precious, whether it's your first or your last. The sweetness of seeing their faces light up, knowing they have done something new, is the best sight. Hayden was standing at the island in the kitchen and wanted to get to his walker that was a few steps away, instead of going into a crawl to get to it like he normally does, he reached out and 1...2...3 did it! He took his first independent steps! We all started clapping and praising him and he plopped down with a huge smile on his face and started clapping for himself. He had no idea what he had just done, but he sure was liking all the attention! And to make the moment even sweeter, was seeing his big sister and brother just as excited as we were, they love experiencing these firsts as much as we do!

Little Hands

I love little hands. I love how they fit so perfectly in my hand and it's one of those things of childhood that I never want to forget. I want to imprint the feeling and sight of holding hands with my kids in my memory forever. It is something that we probably all take for granted, but sometimes I am reminded on just how special this simple act is and I can savor it a little bit more.

When it's time for Abigail to get on the bus, Mitchell will go up with us because he loves to see the bus. We stand there and blow kisses to Abigail while the bus is pulling away and then on the way back down to the house, he always holds my hand. His little hand just reaches right up and grabs on to my hand and we just casually stroll down the street, usually with him rambling on about something that he saw or has recently done. I love that still-a-little-chubby hand holding on to mine while we walk and talk.

Then when it is time for Abigail to come home, I usually go meet her about halfway up the street by myself and as soon as she sees me, she instinctively reaches for my hand. And then I get the wonderful experience of holding my girl's hand while we walk back home and she tells me all about her day at school. Another special moment in my day, which may seem small and trivial, but very important and fulfilling for me. I love that my big girl still wants to hold my hand!

And of course Hayden, he is still very much in the hand-holding stage and I love it now that he is trying to walk. He wants to hold on to your hand or your fingers to practice his new found skill. He is still very wobbly, so he is holding on out of necessity, but I still cherish it! I love looking down and watching his very round, chubby feet as he balances and shuffles around, holding on to my hand for all the support that he needs.

No, it's not my hand, but I love watching them hold their Daddy's hand too!

I guess I am a little sentimental today and I can see the metaphor in this very simple, everyday act. I am going to enjoy every minute I have with my kids right now, while they are still little and love walking and holding my hand. And then one day when they are bigger and they don't want to hold my hand, I hope they know that I am always here for them and that I will always love to walk and talk with them and that I support them in every aspect of their life. I am their Mommy and my job of holding their hand, whether actually doing that or just figuratively, will never end and will always be something that I hold near and dear to my heart!

A Decade

A decade. 10 years. 3,648 days. This is what I am celebrating today- 10 years ago was my first date with Steve and it was a date that changed both our lives forever! It is so hard to believe that it has been 10 years already, but on the other hand it doesn't feel like it has been that long at all!

When we met I was just a 21 year old college kid and he was a recent college graduate, trying to get his new career up and running. He took one look at me, with my tattoos and short shorts, and said no way will I date her, she is a party girl! Now true, I was still partying quite a bit, but isn't that what you are suppose to do at that age? We hung out in several group settings over the next few months and finally turned up the flirtatious chat during several bonfires with our friends in the month of October. At the prodding of our close friends' Manny & Cassie, who were newly engaged, we had a dinner with just the four of us and that is when the official date was made! Steve approached me on the way to my car and asked if I would like to try this on our own, the whole date thing. We made plans for the next night and I was beyond excited!

We had an amazing first date, the best I had ever experienced. Steve was very prepared for the evening and had our date all planned out, however, he had wanted to go to PF Chang's, which at that time was brand new and did not accept reservations. When we arrived there was a 3 hour wait and we both said no way. After several different stops we settled on the revolving restaurant at the top of the Ramada Inn and enjoyed a wonderful dinner overlooking the lights of downtown Cincinnati. The conversation never had an awkward lull and hours had passed before we were ready to leave. We then followed our dinner up with a stroll through Sawyer Point, and even though it was chilly, it was a perfect end to an already incredible night!

By our second date we knew that we had met our soulmate, the one that God had made for each of us. The love that we share is one with God at the foundation and built on trust and honesty. Steve is truly the other half of my heart and soul, as well as my best friend and I am blessed to have shared the past 10 years with him. 10 years ago today I had no idea how much that one date would change the course of my life and from it my dreams came true. I married a wonderful man that loves me deeply and unconditionally, and he made me a mother to 3 beautiful children and he works hard so that I get the privilege of staying at home with them to watch them grow. I can only look forward to another amazing 10 years!

Halloween Fun!

What a fun Halloween weekend! As the kids get older, it seems like the holidays just get better & better! We were able to take the kids out on Saturday night to the annual Jack-O-Lantern Walk at Central Park with some friends & their 3 kiddos. We bundled the kids all up and enjoyed an evening of walking through the park admiring all the carved jack-o-lanterns. Although it was crowded and a bit of a walk, the kids loved the sights & sounds around them and especially the popcorn at the end!

After the Jack-O-Lantern Walk

Sunday evening was the big trick-or-treat night and Abigail & Mitchell could not wait to get their costumes on and hit the sidewalks through our neighborhood. This year we walked the streets with Sleeping Beauty, Woody from Toy Story and the Pokey Little Puppy! And I think they were the cutest trick-or-treaters out there! Abigail & Mitchell were very eager to say their practiced line and they also wanted to do it all on their own. They marched right up the sidewalk to each house & not only said their line, but also used such good manners! I was so proud of the "please" & "thank you's" that I heard come from my 2 big kids'! And Hayden, he was content to ride in his wagon, pulled by Nana, and just take in all the sights around him, and every once in a while we even got a "woof" out of him, his 1 practiced line!

Woody, Pokey Puppy, & Sleeping Beauty

Hayden's 1st Trick-Or-Treat!

I love experiencing the holidays with my kids and seeing it brand new through their eyes! One of the best parts about being a parent is this experience and getting to be a kid all over again through them!

What a day, What an accomplishment!

Amazing! Steve & I accomplished something today that not many people take on...we ran & completed our first every half marathon! We both participated in the 1st Annual Cincinnati Half Marathon in downtown Cincinnati this morning and it was quite the experience!

We both began training in the spring, Steve on his own & with a friend & myself with a running group & a friend. I have to admit, I didn't train near as much as I should have, but with my 3-4 weekly workouts at the YMCA & the running I was able to do, I feel I did fairly well. Up until this point, I had only run as a form of training for upcoming basketball seasons, when I played, so I had never run for the purpose of only running. It was such an adjustment, but one that Steve & I both felt we wanted to take on, if for nothing else to say that we did it!

The experience of the actual race was something I will never forget. The crowd of runners & spectators, the closed off streets through the city, and having my husband right there beside me, were all memories that I will remember for years to come. I have to say, I could not have made it without Steve and his encouragement. This was by far one of the most challenging goals I have ever taken on, but with Steve at my side, it was something that we were both able to conquer and something that we can say we did together!

And a camping we did go!

So, this weekend we did something very unlike us and on a whim decided to load the kids up & go camping! We had been toying with the idea for months, but due to the extreme heat this summer had never gotten a chance to actually go. We bought a pop-camper from my uncle last August, but had yet to be able to take it out & hit a campground. This weekend was our time!

We tried calling to reserve a campsite on Friday, but found out that you have to give at least 48 hours notice, if not then it is first come, first serve. We made a few calls on Saturday morning and found that our best bet would be to head back to my hometown, about 50 miles south of us, to good ole' General Butler State Resort Park. I was not very keen on the idea, having lived 18 years just miles from that park, but I had actually never camped there, so I was up for it. We very quickly and crazily loaded up our gear, some food, the kids and took off. Abigail & Mitchell were so excited, plus we were all riding in Daddy's new SUV for the first time, so that just added to their happiness.

When we arrived at the park, Steve started getting the camper set up, while I tried to unload our supplies & occupy 3 kids. The spot we were in was perfect, just a stone's throw to the playground and a very short walk to the bath house. Abigail & Mitchell scurried off to the playground & Hayden was content to sit in his cozy coupe car & play with leaves he was finding all around him. In no time, Steve had our home away from home all set up & ready for our adventure. We took off with the kids for a walk that led us to a cute train that we could all ride on and then some more playground fun for everyone. When we returned from our walk, Steve set to work on building our fire so that we could start preparing our dinner. Abigail & Mitchell were very anxious to help, so their job was to collect the kinlin to help Daddy in building a super fire!

The evening ended with everyone filling their bellies with campfire hotdogs & beans and then after a very interesting bathtime for Hayden & bed, the four of us made wonderful s'mores before we retreated for the night. Although I wouldn't say that Steve & I got the best sleep that night, we all woke up in good spirits and sat around the fire again, eating our pancakes and just enjoying God's beauty all around.

Steve & I both grew up camping with our families and I remember very early in our relationship we both shared that those were some of our favorite & best memories as kids. When the opportunity came for us to purchase the camper, we jumped on it because we knew that we wanted to create those same memories with our own children. There was something very special & magical this weekend, as I watched my husband & children around the campfire, that I knew right then & there we were building memories that our children would cherish as we have. And to know that trip was just the first of many was just icing on the cake!

The Vacuum Cleaner

Boys do some of the funniest things and it never ceases to amaze me what Mitchell will come up with. He is so different from Abigail in so many ways. Abigail has always, from a very young age, thought things through and weighed out risk vs. reward. Mitchell, on the other hand, just acts and thinks about the consequences later. This way of thinking came in to play over the past few days.

Rewind to Monday at naptime or what was suppose to be naptime. He was up after his regular amount of rest, so I went in to get him. To my surprise, I find that he has been up for a while just playing in his room, but doing so quietly. I turn the light on and see a rather large red mark on his forehead. I thought that it was a sleep mark, from lying on the same spot for a long period of time, but when I touched it I saw that it was kind of raw. I asked him what had happened and he said he didn't know. The next day the place looked much worse and I could tell that it was a rug burn of some kind. Tuesday night while Steve was getting Mitchell ready for bed, he asked him again what happened to his forehead. Mitchell, very matter of fact, told him that he was pretending to be a vacuum cleaner and cleaned his entire room during his nap the day before. My son had put his forehead to the carpet and preceded to scoot around the entire room, so much that he made a large rug burn on himself! Never once did he cry out or make any indication that it was painful during his "cleaning" of the carpet. Only afterwards, when I touched it, did he say "Ow, that hurts a little." And to make this whole event even more hilarious, he had his 3 year old Preschool pictures take at school on Thursday, with a very scabbed & red forehead!

Oh, my Mitchell...never a dull moment and I am sure there are many more of these incidents to come in our life! One thing is for sure, he will always be able to keep us guessing about what he will do next and hopefully, we will always be able to laugh about it afterwards! And having another little boy behind him, that already thinks he is the coolest, means double the fun down the road!

And we partied!

Today was Hayden's 1st Birthday & his party day and we all had such a good time! We did the party different this time, having it at in our backyard and from 10a-12p, and it all worked out really well! The theme of his birthday party was 1st birthday baby dinosaurs and we had brunch foods for everyone. We set up a bounce house for the kids to play in and had all the fun balloons and cupcakes. Hayden did so good, considering he was woken up from his nap early and was surrounded by a bunch of people that he knows, but is not around all the time. He loved opening his presents and eating his pancakes and then digging into his very own cake. It was such a fun time visiting with family & friends and celebrating our baby boy's big day. So hard to believe that he is 1 already and it makes me sad to think that my baby is growing up so fast, but I am also looking forward to watching him develop and his personality coming out more. We are starting a new chapter in our life and there are many fun times ahead for our little family!

How quickly a year goes by...

Tonight is the eve of my last baby's 1st birthday and it is so hard to believe that a year ago today I was trying to make myself get a little sleep, but was too excited to know that I would be meeting my baby very soon. I was induced at 7am on the 25th, so the night before was impossible for me to get any sleep at all! I was much to anxious to get to the hospital and get the show on the road. After a long (or long to me) and hard labor, Hayden Thomas made his arrival at 4:40pm on Friday, September 25, 2009. It was so fun not finding out the gender and having that anticipation and surprise at the end of a long, hard day. It was so fun for Steve to look at me, with tears in his eyes, and proudly announce that it was a boy, much to our surprise because for whatever reason we both thought it was going to be a girl. It was so fun getting to pick out a name right then & there because we weren't sure about a boy's name until that very moment when we first saw him. It was so special to me to get to give my baby boy his middle name after his great-grandfather, my Pop, whom he hasn't met on this earth, but I know that he met in heaven before he was here. And to top it all off, was seeing the look of awe & amazement on Abigail & Mitchell's faces' when they walked into the hospital room to meet their new brother. They were the first ones we had back into the room and Abigail knew before we even told her that it was a brother, she just sensed it and knew she had another little brother. They loved him from the second they saw him, all wrapped up in his blankie and taking in his new world. What a beautiful and wonderful day that was!

Tomorrow we will celebrate Hayden's big first birthday with our friends and family at our house in the backyard. Finally, we have a child with a birthday in the warm weather months so that we can have an outdoor party! I know he won't understand what all the commotion and craziness is about, but we will and we will celebrate all day long. He is such a character and is really getting his own personality, which I hate to admit is actually a lot like mine, impatient and has a little temper! But I love watching him develop and finding his own way and place in our family. What a perfect and amazing blessing he has been in our life!

Enjoying my life today

I like days like today; with a cool breeze coming in through the open windows, fall candle making the whole house smell wonderful, dinner already cooking away in the crockpot, laundry going and kids that are all enjoying the day as well and just hanging out. It seems like we don't get many of these days anymore, with Abigail in Kindergarten every afternoon and Mitchell in preschool 2 days a week and then our time at the YMCA almost every morning for Mommy to get her exercise in for the day, it seems like we are always on the go. I know that it will only get more chaotic from here, with 3 kids that are all going to be getting into different activities and sports, but I am going to enjoy the days like today for as long as I have them. It's days like this that really refuel me and make me appreciate my life as a SAHM. I know there is a stigmatism out there that SAHMs just sit around all day watching soaps & eating bonbons, but that could not be farther from the truth! Most of my days are hectic between getting us all to different places for whatever reason and then keeping up a house and making sure that I get to spend some QT with the kids. There are very few days like this one where we don't really have anything on our agenda (although Abigail does still have to go to school!) and we can just be in our little cocoon of home and enjoy being with each other. And although there are still things that I have to get done around the house, they don't seem quite so pressing when I know I have the day ahead of me to accomplish them and even if they don't get done, there is always tomorrow! Right now, I am going to make sure I relish every minute of the life I have today and the chance I have at being home with my kids and make sure I do my best to make the most of it!

I told you I was not good at this!

So, it has been an entire year since my last blog entry! I really was trying the last time around, but in my defense we did add a new member to our family and being a mommy of 3 consumes all of my time!! So, I am going to give this another go around. I was going to go back & date everything starting with Hayden's birth, but that would just be confusing and time consuming, so I will just start fresh today and give an update on our past year and then take it from there.

Obviously, the biggest news to come out of this past year was the birth of our 3rd child! Hayden Thomas Wright was born on September 25, 2009 at 4:40pm. He was 7 lbs 14 oz and 20.5 inches long. We had decided to keep his gender a surprise and were we ever surprised!! I was so sure it was a girl and when Steve looked at me and said "It's a boy!", I almost didn't believe him! But, I wouldn't have it any other way. Hayden has been the perfect addition to our family. From the beginning, he has been a very easy-going, laid-back baby, that is content with just taking all the excitement of his big sister & brother in. He loves each of them so much and it shows over his entire face every time he looks at them. And I can already see the difference in their relationships forming; Abigail is his protector & 2nd mother & Mitchell is his best buddy & playmate. I can't wait to see how these relationships continue to evolve and grow as the years go on!

Abigail & Mitchell have adjusted so well to having a new brother and love him so much. We never had one bit of jealousy and they both love helping us out any chance they get. We all enjoyed a fun-filled spring & summer that was full of new events for our little family. Both Abigail & Mitchell joined their first organized sports team and played soccer in the spring and then Abigail went on to play T-Ball this summer. Abigail had a blast in both of her sports and really caught on to playing a team sport. Mitchell wasn't as enthused with his soccer attempts and was much more fond of playing in the grass and picking flowers during his games, but he had fun and that was the most important part! We also enjoyed a family vacation to Hilton Head Island in May and as always loved playing on the beach & splashing in the pool! We weren't sure how it was going to be vacationing with 3 kids 5 & under, but they all did great and we had a truly amazing time!

The end of summer brought a few more firsts in our family. Abigail started kindergarten on August 18 and now attends school for a 1/2 day every day and also rides the school bus to & from school. The bus ride is her favorite part of her day by far, but she is also loving her new school & all that entails. She has really matured so much over the past year and it is so awesome to watch a young girl emerging from the baby we welcomed into our lives almost 5 1/2 years ago. She is a compassionate and sweet little girl that brings a smile to everyone's face and we love her so much! Mitchell also started preschool on September 7. He attends 2 afternoons a week and so far is loving it! He has always been such a Mommy's boy, so we were concerned how he would handle being away from me for that time, but he has done great! I think it helps him to have something that is just his and it makes him very proud and excited when he gets home from school. He is our comedian and is always trying to make someone laugh. He is also the most affectionate child and is always the first to pass out a hug or kiss and I love that about him because the other part of him is a little mischievous stinker and can really try Mommy & Daddy's patience!

As for Steve & I, we are just enjoying raising our little family and trying to soak it all in. We both started working out at a gym in January and have been very successful in our weight loss goals (yes, Steve also gained weight during my pregnancy!) and are feeling better than ever physically, which is really good since I also turned 30 last Oct! We have set a goal for ourselves to run our 1st half marathon, which is 13.1 miles, on October 23 and are training for that and very excited to take on that challenge together.

I think that about wraps up the past year, in order to catch up our blog. Now, I will vow again to keep this updated and post much more frequently. Again, my reason for the blog and why I started it, was to have a place to capture those everyday moments within our life that can sometimes go by and not be noticed. In such a hectic & crazy life, I want to make sure I take time to reflect and enjoy even the smallest things!