A jaunt downtown

one evening in October. 

     We were still enjoying the light evenings that, in a good way (mostly), made it feel like bedtime would never come. For that reason, and to ensure Gray and I didn't lose our sanity, a stroll around Falls Park on the Reedy was the perfect family activity.

 We have been experiencing a drought this year. The Fall was not as spectacular as it usually is.

     We thoroughly enjoyed watching the ducks swim and eat. Tobias liked to get as close as was physically possible before falling in, aka. he loved to give me a fright. He would point and observe and point some more while repeating "Mommy! The Ducks!" more times than I could count.

 This poor goose was so ugly, we came to find out he/she is an actual specie that looks like this ... 

I felt slightly bad for mocking him.

 Little toes dangling too close to the water!

We made a loop around the park stopping at our favorite tea bar, Ocha. The cherry, almond, vanilla milk tea is my favorite thing on the menu right now! On our way back we gazed into the high end art shops and stopped again to admire the ducks. It was perfect, so much so that we had a meltdown in the car about leaving ...

Grate gazing. I'm pretty sure he spent some time dropping stones down there before I noticed.

Sexy butt dad wearing that Ergo like a model, hehe.

Enjoying the porch

on a cool fall day. 

     On Thursdays we wake up a little early. It is a mad dash trying to get out the door by 8:15am which is the latest we can leave. An 8:15am departure ensures we arrive at Mommy's Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) class on time. 

Ty showing Well's his "baby truck" ... Well's got a little scared hehe.

     If we are successful, everyone ends up having a great time. Ty goes to his class and mommy enjoys some grown up Christ-centered discussion while Well's sleeps. This year we are studying John and I am loving the in-depth view. I learn and grow so much through BSF.

 Snot nose. This has been our life this fall!

     Ty loves his class and has picked up quite a few habits from there. Some are cute, some are not so cute. We enjoy the hand in the fist "Amen!" after prayers but the obnoxious "Roar!" could definitely go. He learns a story, sings hymns, and recites a Bible verse that mirrors what the adults are studying. Even though he is too young to tell me what happens in class I had the opportunity to witness it one week. That week was such a blessing! It warms my heart thinking about the intention of his class leaders and what he is being taught. 

     BSF usually ends around 10:40am and we make it home by 11am. On this particular morning they were being so pleasant. We sat on the porch for awhile. Ty drove around his "baby truck" and I snapped pictures while Well's chilled. I like capturing those rare moments of calm.

The monster truck phase is a thing. We have a lot of trucks around here ... I secretly love it.

Watching football with daddy.

     If I didn't have so much laundry to do, so many projects left unfinished, a baby to feed or who knows what else, football season would be my favorite. I know that a lot of those are horrible excuses, but sometimes I'm guilty of letting the To Do List take priority over sitting down and watching a game with my hubby.

     Thankfully I had boys and among other things, football games are included in our "raising them right" theology. So when a games on and it's not nap time or bed time, we encourage Ty to join in. Right now he's engaged for maybe five minutes before getting out his toys, but that (and the fact that he's dressed in head to toe team gear) warms his daddies heart and mine too.

He's learned the art of being distracting, but not too distracting. 

Or maybe Gray is just that concentrated ... the juries still out. 

     Gray can't wait till he's watching the whole game and talking terms and stats and I am just excited to witness it all unfold. There will be many hours of watching football together in their futures.

"Tobias, show mama your game face!" ... Man oh man do I love these two!

Sky Top Orchard

Our third annual trip up to Sky Top Orchard was a success.

(A picture of him grabbing the only apple we actually picked.)

     It definitely looked a lot different from the last couple of years. No added friends, just our little family unit on a brisk Saturday morning. We enjoyed the animals and small bamboo forrest. Mommy and Tobias even highjacked a hayride meant for school field-trippers before ending our time at the play park.

     Well's did his thing and slept for most of the outing while riding in the ergo on daddy's chest. The apples that were up for picking happened to be in the back of the orchard. So aside from picking one apple on our "illegal" hayride we didn't go picking like in previous years. Instead we opted for the pre-picked bags and bought a small assortment of Asian Pears and Fuji Apples.

(He saw some other kids feeding the goats grass and decided to join in.) 

     The line for the apple cider donuts was amazing and far too long with a toddler and baby in tow. So we stood back and drooled over the smell but didn't partake. Alternately we tried and thoroughly enjoyed an apple cider slushy. We had a lot of fall fun and really loved all the apple-ly treats. So much so that we were greeted with a rather unpleasant diaper surprise later in the day, not naming any names, Tobias.

     I do love this family tradition. I love the opportunity we have to continue building on previous memories!

(How big is Tobias? The bamboo forrest was pretty cool!)

A morning outside with Tobias.

If I could bottle up all your zeal for life and apply it like perfume at the start of every day, I would.

     What the world must look like to one as little as you, gigantic, foreign, wonderful? Sometimes when I look at pictures like these I can imagine your awe. The world through your eyes, a beautifully scary creation rendered exciting within carefully constructed boundaries.

(Could you be any cuter sporting Auntie KK's beanie she left behind?)

     You love the outdoors, if I left it up to you you would spend all your time outside. I both love and dislike this about you. Rain or shine, heat or cold, no bugs or millions your enthusiasm never wavers (unless I mention Paw Patrol, but even then you are swayed only 50% of the time). I love this because if there is one place I can go to get refreshed it's outside. It's in Gods creation where I am reminded how small I am and how great God is. There is something very comforting in that truth. I dislike this because the heat annoys me and mosquito's are very literally the bane of my existence!

     Thankfully on this morning the air was crisp (my favorite kind) and the mosquito's were few. I had put Well's down for his morning nap and the three of us headed to the backyard to play.

     When Riggs wasn't standing at the back door wanting to be let in he ran around chasing squirrels. He made sure to give Tobias and his lawn mower a wide berth. He seems to be terrified of that blue and green bubble machine when it's at the hands of Ty. I can't imagine why? I don't know a person or animal who minds getting rammed and chased by a little squirt and his plastic mower ...

(I don't think my mom could have known how much he would love this toy.)

(The leaves tend to turn brown instead of all those vibrant colors like up north, boo.) 

(The sunlight that morning was just gorgeous.)

      He stood at the gate glued to whatever truck or bus happened to pass by. He would beckon to me frantically, desperately wanting me to share in his excitement.

(His little face! Those huge blue eyes, that sweet mouth and those soft cheeks, 

it's hard to express how much I love this boy.)

     He mowed the lawn five times over stopping every once in awhile to make sure I was watching or to investigate the nearest ant hill. He ended up transferring his hat to his mower, it was "coldy" and needed some warmth.

     He also drove to the store multiple times for various items mom forgot to grab. And he drove to work. He made sure to wave goodbye to me just like daddy does every time he leaves.

Oh to be little again. Don't grow up too fast baby.

Well's on the porch.

     My babies are fuzz heads and I love it. Tobias had the wispiest bird like hair for so long. Just recently has it decided to grow in and thicken up and I'm afraid this change has turned my first baby into a boy. This is why I'm so relishing Well's and soaking in all those baby things that tend to change so quickly.

(Rigg's butt totally photo bombed this picture, haha.)

     I took these photos at two months. He just turned three months and from the time we found out I was pregnant until now, I feel like I can't catch my breath. Keeping up with both my boys and soaking in all the details as they morph and grow takes all of my time and leaves me dizzy. I know I miss things, but I hope that somehow the big things imprint themselves on my brain.

     Right now I'm loving Well's chunky thighs, his knee dimples, his buddha belly, his healthy arm creases, and just his overall thickness! I spend a lot of time squeezing him. He is seriously so yummy. His huge open mouth smiles that happen every time you catch his eye make my heart stop. And man oh man those occasional giggles, well, they just make the world a better place. He is definitely a talker, he babbles and blows bubbles content to communicate with whoever or whatever happens to be in his line of sight. No rolling yet just some great head support along with push ups and wiggles he can turn himself around if you aren't looking.
     He does all of his naps in his crib. I'm pretty sure he would sleep well in his crib at night, but currently he still sleeps in his rock n' play by my side of the bed. A good night he sleeps from 7:30pm to 5:30am, he eats and goes back to bed until 7:30am. He takes three naps during the day and if he needs it a short cat nap before bed. It took me awhile to figure him out, but once I did, he has been the happiest of babies!
     He is obviously a great eater. He doesn't struggle to put on the pounds. He does struggle to take a bottle or a paci. Also known as he refuses both. It makes him pretty hard to leave. I have to time my absences just right. Occasionally I'm over all of the attention, but then he smiles and I forget all my frustration.

     Tobias loves him dearly which has made the last couple of weeks hard. Ty came down with a fever and has had a lasting cough and runny nose. I've had to curb the touching because sick babies are no fun! Despite the sick he still asks to hold Baby Well's and is the first to tell mommy when Baby Well's is crying or unhappy. He even throws away Baby Well's dirty diapers, he is a huge helper.