We Moved....Again

So, I think pretty much everyone knows that it's standard for Paul and me to move twice a year due to work and school. The move this time, however, was self-inflicted. We were living in a triplex beneath a man that I fondly call Thundering Thornton. That combined with some landlord issues meant we had to leave as soon as our contract was up.

We are now in a side-by-side duplex, and we are loving it. We have good-smelling carpet, we have no one above us, we have a yard that is free of dog poop, we have a garage, and the only thing we miss about the old place is the kitchen. The kitchen here is a LOT smaller, and there is no dishwasher. *sigh* It's worth it, though.

Pics of the new place (not quite completed yet):

Come and visit us!

P.S. Maybe you noted that there was no picture of our bedroom listed; here is an opportunity for you to learn something about me: my bedroom is my personal space, and I do not like other people in there unless explicitly invited or directed there. Posting a picture of my bedroom on the interweb seemed a little silly if I don't even let close friends in there.

Pumpkin Patch

Grammy and Grandpa Earls came for a visit, and the highlight was probably the pumpkin patch. If I don't get to a pumpkin patch my fall is incomplete, and we found one not too far from our home here in Poky.

There was a perfect photo opportunity right when we arrived.

He found it mildly entertaining. The wagon came right when we arrived so we didn't have to wait long to go and get our pumpkins.

There were many to choose from so Mr. Mitchell and I went off to find our pumpkins while Grammy and Grandpa played with Sprout.

After the wagon took us back to the entrance we went and looked at the animals, played some games, and went through the corn maze.

Sprout was completely tuckered out at this point and fell asleep in the corn maze.

It was a very fun pumpkin patch adventure. Grammy and Grandpa also spoiled us with a delicious lunch at Texas Roadhouse and new shoes for Sprout. While they were here I also got help from Mr. Mitchell and Grammy to make a Halloween wreath, and with their assistance I think it turned out pretty darn cute!

Thank you for visiting, Grammy & Grandpa!

Birthday Party for Sprout

Mr. Mitchell and I agreed on a little party for Sprout's first birthday. It was very little indeed with just Aunt Jayme and cousins, but we had a very good time, and I had a fun time putting everything together for a milk & cookies party.

We sent out invitations:

And presents and cards started coming:

He had these presents teasing him for about a week.

And then it was party day:

First we had to clean and get ready for company.



We had buffalo ranch chicken sandwiches, salad, and orange fluff for lunch. Then we had chocolate milk and lots of cookies. Then we had a cake that mommy tried making that should be submitted to CakeWrecks.

After the video ended we all helped blow out his candle, turned the lights on, and Sprout's response was to lift one little hand and go, "What?" It was a funny, funny thing.

Then we finally got to open presents! He received cards, clothes, toys, and books from lots of family. His favorite gift is his very own stool to push around the kitchen floor. I can understand how that might be confusing if you haven't seen the boy in action, but it is truly one of his favorite past times. Mr. Mitchell's favorite thing that Sprout received were blocks, and my favorite thing that he got was a Batman fedora.

Then we went and explored a house I want to buy and explored downtown Pocatello. That was kind of a letdown because apparently everything shuts up at 4pm on Saturdays on Main Street except for the bar. We returned home and had a rousing Guitar Hero festival.

Then it was time for the Smiths to head home so they packed up some goody bags with cookies and said goodbye.

Thank you Aunt Jayme and Smith cousins for coming and playing! We hope you can come again soon.

Sprout Turns 1

It's his birthday! We celebrated by going in for a well check-up and getting shots. Don't worry; we have little party plans for Saturday, and we played a lot today. (I was going to include a picture of his little shot-riddled legs, but when I went in to get him from his nap I found his bandaids all over the floor. I guess he must have picked them all off and tossed them over the side of the crib before he fell asleep.) We were also surprised with the return of Daddy! Yay! We weren't expecting to see him until this weekend so that was a very fun treat!

My little boy has gone from this 8lb5oz, 20.5" cutie...

...to this 21lb1oz, 30" cutie.

September 25th is not just my munchkin's birthday; it is the anniversary of me entering motherhood. It is something I have wanted for as long as I can remember, and it has been wonderful. I am so grateful for my little boy who has made this journey possible. We love you Sprout!

September 2013

I figured I better do my monthly wrap-up a little early since the next time I blog it will be about a certain chap turning one and will probably be overwhelmed with pictures and videos.

First: Sprout's First Haircut! Not really, though. He had a ton of hair when he was born and has had several trims to try and keep it all tidy. It was finally time to cut it all down.

We have gone from this...

...to this.

(Please take note of how many times it took to get a shot where I could actually catch the haircut.)

He's been playing hard lately (very much in an 'in-and-out' phase right now) and whenever I check on him in his crib he almost always looks as though he passed out rather than fell asleep.

Fall is here in Idaho. The weather has been fantastic and there's that wonderful fall smell in the air. I don't normally get too into decorations because I have nowhere to store the stuff, but I'm so much in the fall spirit that I had to do a little something.

Sprout has been able to spend some time with Dad.



And, lastly, just because