Most days are
extremely challenging. Remaining calm, patient, loving and still fun with
Brayden and Madison is harder for me than I ever thought it would be. However today, we had many sweet moments together where life caught me by surprise and I thought...ah...this life is sweet.
I think those moments are harder for me to find because I still have a big hole in my heart that only Matt can fill. But those moments are still there and I have to fight to find them. And it's good for me to document them to have to look back and remember! So here are
todays for whoever still reads this silly blog:
1. Mornings often start with cuddles between these two. Madison is absolutely smitten with her brother and lights up when he comes in the room. He often just says "I want to give Maddie a hug" and gives her a snuggle. I caught this moment on film...
2. No photo, but Madison and I read books together today while Brayden was at preschool and I realized that it's the first time I've ever told her what a cow says...I think Brayden was saying MOO by 11 months. The life of a second child... Well, she just lit up as we looked through the books together and I pointed to pictures of animals and told her what they said. Then we got to go visit with Spencer, the Hilzers dog and she could not stop shaking her arms and legs of excitement when he licked her! I wonder if she'll be a vet.
3. We got to borrow a friends bike for a few months! Thanks Jack! Yippee for us...
Brayden cannot stop talking about his bike. He doesn't want to wear his helmet but we told him no helmet NO BIKE! So he
obliges. He got the hang of it right away....just in time for his 3rd bday tomorrow.
4. Then after a really fun bath (as B and M are really starting to play together in the bath) I got Maddie out and put her in her room with some toys and went and got Brayden out of the bath and when I came back, this is what I found....(the floor was clean before). First time she's pulled herself up. She's not even crawling on her hands yet...still army crawling.
And then my day ended reading books on Brayden's top bunk with him...on his birthday eve. Pretty sweet day! Cannot believe my baby is 3!
Maddie lounging watching Toy Story 2 with her bro while Mama cooks dinner.
BEACH DAY....I took the kids to the beach the day before Fall swooped in on us and it was glorious. Both kids loved the waves and it was perfect temps...
(as you can see, everything is now a gun...this is a vacuum cleaner part that made it's way to the beach as a toy gun)
So, I tend to let my kids feed themselves at a young age. This is what happens...yogurt art.
I didn't take too many photos in Tennessee, but here are two...good times.
I took Brady on a bike ride before dinner and he rode around the entire block without stopping or complaining. I did have crackers to keep him going.
Don't ask me what Maddie is doing in this photo...looks like she is trying to catch the sun.
Good times at Camp Eacker but it's always better when Daddy is around.
And this crazy kiddo turned 3 this month and I let him lick the spoon of something I made (can't remember what). 
He absolutely loves his new preschool where he spends more time outside than inside (very different than his last school). This was a classic moment...on his first day of school. I asked him if he wanted to take a picture with his buddy Jack. After I took the photo of the two of them, slowly ONE by ONE kids kept walking up, lingering to be in the photo. It was hilarious...so I have 5 pictures each with an additional kid. :) 
September has been such a busy month. We started a new service at our church on Saturday nights, Brady and I had birthdays, my parents were here and then I went away for 4 days to Nashville Tennessee, leaving Maddie for the first time. 
The kids and I just got back from a big adventure...a trip to Seattle without Eric. As we knew he would have to work a lot due to the big fires in southern cali...he suggested I head north to be with family and friends in Seattle.
We decided that Madison was having her first birthday soon enough that we'd let her celebrate turning 1 a little early and have her first cupcake which was HILARIOUS...this girl had no problem downing her cupcake before ALL 3 boys. Thanks Aunt Amy for putting up with the mess.
Here's Grandpa Bob representing Santa Barbara County Fire with his hat! Grandpa Bob loves snuggle time with Maddie and she's awfully happy being snuggled!
After fun times with Joanna and Jack (forgot to take a pic but Jo, your good friend Breann is in the picture..hahah), we went to an awesome park up in Issaquah Highlands. Here's my big (potty trained) boy. He told me this morning that he's sad he's potty trained. He wants to still be 'learning'...ie still getting candy! Smart boy!
Nothing like a week at the lake....never want to leave.
Blueberry picking at the Ranch we use to live at with Brayden's best buddy Chloe:
A little afternoon swim in our backyard 
It's been a rough few weeks...we all got sick, Maddie is cutting three teeth, had a bout of roseola, and she broke her femur falling off the bed. But the good news is we get to head to Bass Lake with my parents tomorrow. AAHHHH....nothing like a week at the lake to vacation and play. It's so fun to bring Brayden to a place where I have so many memories. I haven't been back since Matt died but I finally feel ready. Ready to enjoy what he loved with more joy than sadness. 