Peyton

This kid cracks me up!!  I can't believe that he is almost two years old (june 16th)!  I know that after baby Sadie gets here things are going to get nuts and I'll be a bit sidetracked with trying to get sleeping schedules, eating schedules, and everything else all on the right track that Peyton will get overlooked sometimes.  He's the only one now and gets all of our attention from sun up to sun down most of the times.  The last few days I've just been basking in having him all to myself.  We're soo excited to add another one to the mix but I am going to miss having all the time in the world for Peyton! 


He's getting to be quite a little chatterbox which means I play "translator" most of the time.

Ga-Ga: Grandma
cah-cah: chocolate
mee-bee: baby
bee-bee: Barry
Bah: Barb
Chin-chin: Uncle Christian
Wee-nee: Aunt Whitney
Bam-bam: Uncle Brandon
These are just a few of them.... and he can say lots of words correctly.  He amazes us everyday with how fast he's catching on to everything and learning!  He truly does brighten our lives and I thank God everyday for him!

A day in the Life

So we start our day every morning by Peyton wanting to call daddy or Pampa.  Due to the two hour time difference and the possibility that Pampa wouldn't be that excited to speak to a little guy AFTER waking him up from his slumber, we call daddy.  Eric joins us for breakfast a few minutes later and makes breakfast for us every morning.  I know, we're spoiled! Eric freaking rocks at anything breakfast..... scrambled eggs, pancakes, french toast, homemade syrup... everything!  

Peyton is always asking to see daddy and the Moo's and the Brrrrrrrrrr (tractors) all day long.  I'm not gonna lie, lots of times lately I pray that Peyton won't want to go outside.  Man, it's a verrrryyyyyy energy sucking activity.  I have to stick right on his heels..... don't want the little man run over by a tractor, touching al teh electric fences, getting kicked by any cow, and the list goes on and on and on and on.....   But Eric will help when he's not too busy so we can hang outside.

Working on all the machinery to prepare for the brunt of crop season!  This picture above doesn't do this job justice.... there were sparks flying everywhere.  It looked a little like the 4th of July!!

Eric joins us for lunch........ and makes messes everywhere he goes.  Tracks in dirt and who knows what else over every floor, spills a bottle of applesauce when opening the fridge (and yes, left teh mess for me... punk), a pile of dishes..... but we enjoy his company anyway.  Really grateful that even though he stays super busy outside he can see us at all mealtimes.

Then he dashes outside so he can back the tractors out of the shed to unload the huge load of fertilizer someone is delivering for corn planting.

We join him awhile later for milking..... Peyton wants to be just like his daddy and puts on his knee pads.

Eric teaches Peyton how to milk a cow by hand.  Peyton wasn't that excited but just happy that daddy was holding him so close to a cow. 

Between puddle splashing, taking baths, and outfit changing.... Peyton climbs up on the tractors all by himself. 

Daddy shows some love and takes Peyton around on the tractor while he works.

Staring at Eric's bum..... tobacco rings around here? NOPE, cell phone rings!  Now THAT's a cute bum.

But what I really meant to say about the next couple pics is this is Barry and Eric giving an IV to a sick cow. 

Staring at these babies allllllllllllllll day long.

Peyton's face most of the time when he's around his daddy..... just watching in wonder and taking it all in so he can be just like him.
We really do feel sooo blessed to be here on the farm!  We're grateful for answered prayers and the reassurance we felt from teh Lord that we should be here in Hershey, Pennsylvania surrounded by loads and loads of cow manure and flies.  Ha, no but really.... we are soooo dang blessed.  There are days that I get down about farm life and wish more than anything that Eric had chosen to be a lawyer or something but Eric is a farmer through and through.  Farm life just courss through this guy's veins and I know our kids will get some really awesome opportunites being raised here.  I've always dreamed and hoped that I'd raise my family on the farm someday and my dreams are a reality now.  It's humbling.... i just need to remember this when I get those moments when Eric stays out in teh barns till 9:30 p.m. helping a cow calf, or those moments that I get frustrated that Eric falls asleep after sitting down for two minutes when I'm mid-sentence, etc....
Life is good!!!!

Derby Bridal Party!

I had soooo much fun at the Kentucky Derby Bridal Party that I went to on Saturday.  It was for Gina and Teno.  Love them both!  Gina and her family have meant SOOOO much to us since we moved here.  They pulled us right under their wings and have helped us feel part of everything.  From bonfires, to conversations, to text messages, to parties, and delicious food they've really made us feel like we've got family nearby!  Teno is Eric's home teaching companion so that's how we know him..... he's a great dude and Eric really enjoys being with him. 

The deliciousness itself!!!  Holy toledo, that Michelle can cook!  Hot dang!  My favs were the spinach filling on pumpernickel sandwiches, chocolate covered strawberries, red velvet cake balls, deviled eggs, and the derby pie.  Yeah, pretty much everything. 

We all wore our "derby hats" and check us out!  We totally rocked them!!!

Cheers to Gina!!  The bride is the one in the pink hat....... and two things:  everyone brought food storage items for the gifts (BRILLIANT), and those pretty green drinks were virgin mint juleps..... DELISH!!!!  Never tried them till saturday and I'm a FAN with a capital F! 

Yup, rocking those hats!

And the belly!  They did have a pretty brilliant idea while I was there to just stick me on the horse out in the pasture and gallop around for awhile to shake that baby right out of there. 

Isn't this fun?  Seriously, everyone looked sooooo good! 

And Peyton totally broke in my hat before the party itself....... what would I do without him?

Naptime with daddy

This is what happens when your husband was supposed to take him for a nap..........

An hour after heading off to their nap on Sunday afternoon, I heard a few noises.  I didn't hear anything else so I just passed it off as the neighbors next door. (We have a duplex that is def not soundproof)  15 minutes later, I heard a crash....... a couple seconds later, Eric yells down the stairs........" BREEEE???? You better come quick."  Well, the hubs falls asleep seconds after lying down.... unfortunately, our son falls asleep a couple minutes after lying down.  So Eric had been asleep for the whole hour while Peyton had been rummaging through the craft bins.  awesome...... Peyton was pleased as punch with himself though!!  How in the heck could you be mad at a face like that????

Mud puddles?

Do you all know what "mud puddles" are on dairy farms?  Uh, yeah.... lots of water mixed with just regular dirt AND manure.  So it's all good if Peyton just wants to stand at the edge of those puddles and throw rocks in to see how many ripples he can make.  That didn't last long...... so I threw him in teh tub and got a change of clothes.



I should've just waited..... 2nd outfit.... 2nd time in same mud/manure puddle.



3rd bath of the day..... will I EVER learn????



So thankful......

Soooo thankful for a little guy who makes everything we do (gardening/weeding this day) a little more fun.... and messy!

So thankful for the laughs Peyton gave me when he decided he really likes to kiss his calves.

Thankful for a very good helper when I do the dishes!

Thankful for Peyton's ability and willingness to help with any chore done at that moment...... like helping daddy feed hay.

Thankful for wonderful grandparents on both sides that spoil little Peyton

Grateful for the chance to travel down to Eric's family's place to be there for Mandy's bridal shower.  Especially grateful that Peyton was pretty good in the car..... not perfect, but could've been worse.  Also SUPER grateful that Peyton was silent as Mandy came down the stairs (it was a surprise party)!!

Grateful that Peyton's "picky stage" is gone!

Grateful for "the hottness" spoiling us on an afternoon out with the family after we got an ultrasound done!

Grateful for Pizza Hut's sale.... yyyuuuummmm!

Grateful......

Grateful for coloring books, and coloring pencils, and a daddy that shows Peyton very carefully how to color in the lines.

And Peyton is grateful for pepper shakers to "shake" things up at restaurants........ and I'm grateful for the nice waitress who just ignored it, even though Peyton did shake out HALF of that thing. 

Grateful for this cute face..... just walking down aisles and he yanked these off the shelf...... grateful it didn't tip the whole thing over.

Soooo grateful for our temple trip last weekend!!!!  Much needed and it's seemed to ground our family a little better since!!

Grateful for modern technology..... ultrasound visit!  Baby was 6 lbs 10 oz at appt.  Projected weight at due date is 8lbs 10oz

Did I mention I'm grateful he's grown out of this "picky stage"!!  And super grateful he makes this face everytime he eats a strawberry...... but keeps eating them!!

Grateful for spray paint, flowers and having a girl so I have lots of excuses to get crafty!!

Grateful that 98% of the time I can take a picture right side up........