New Year!

Well, it's January 16th and I'm just now getting serious about thinking about New Year Resolutions (like how I can't even commit to thinking about getting serious about them?!). I'm really liking the idea of family resolutions and resolutions for both Clay and I as a couple. Really, these are just life goals - but for some reason folks don't like calling them goals so resolutions it is.

For me - I'd like to spend more time focusing on me. Simple things really - making sure I put makeup on instead of worry about weather Jack's shoes are organized, paint my toes instead of fussing with the laundry, etc. I'm also going to start sewing more. I'm in love with creating things! I made both Jack and Owen dinosaur hats, and though FAR from perfect they are still VERY adorable.

For Clay and I - a romantic get away. Or just a get away. Hell, we could go stay at a motel 6 in Boise and I'd be ELATED. I don't remember the last time I got to wake up in his arms. Oh the things having two children will do to you! We also need to be better about how we spend our date time - We usually rush through dinner and then go to the grocery store. Anyone with more than one child knows that going to the grocery store with children and having to actually get things that are breakable (chips, eggs, etc) or that are food (I mean really, Jack tries to eat EVERYTHING I put in the cart) is a nightmare so Clay and I usually go to the store on our dates. Not very romantic.

As a family - We need to get out of the house more. With staying home I feel like I'm missing SO much of the outside world. Buildings are completed and I didn't even know they cleared that corn field 6 months ago for that new store. I really should put that as one of my goals...Get out of the house more.

Jack at the aquarium, I'd love to go back!

I'm sure Clay's goal would be to lose weight, but he looks so handsome and I love him with a little meat on his bones. He can get so thin!


In other news, there really isn't much else to report. EXCEPT...

Owen is crawling. All over the place. He follows me everywhere and gets so frustrated when I'm busy going from room to room and he has to crawl after me just to have me change directions. Poor baby. He will be walking soon though, he's already scaling back and forth on the couch and pulling himself up against anything - chairs, walls, his crib, anything really. And will stand with only one hand balancing himself. It's crazy. I'm not ready for my baby to be a toddler. I must stop thinking about it or I will cry!!

And now for some pictures!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

This time of year is so busy, for everyone really, and then I went and added a husband and two children to the mix. It's funny, I yearn for this time of year (well, December, I'm fully aware it's January and I'm just now blogging about Christmas) all year long and when it gets here I become a worrying, panicking, bossing, plan making mess.

All of Clayton's siblings were together for Christmas, so it was insane to try to plan anything but, like always, it came together and we got to spend some really great time with everyone. I love being apart of the family and always enjoy a good chaotic Lowder holiday!

Jack isn't quite old enough to get Christmas, but he did love opening presents. He got a kitchen, shopping cart and mega blocks from Santa (100pc. of mega blocks - THANKS Santa, those are hidden in the garage now!) Owen got a educational singing dog that Jack loves more than Owen. Babies are so difficult to shop for - especially a second child who already has all of his big brothers toys!

My wonderful husband got me a sewing machine that I am looking forward to spending some quality time using! I've gotten it out during nap time a couple of times and made both boys some p.j. pants (though nothing like the wonderful pants Alyson has made and passed down) and mittens for Jack (though not very functional he likes playing with them). I'm looking forward to finding the time to make curtains for Owen's room, our room and the living room as well as learning how to make shirts for the boys. I'm lucky enough to have Clay's mom to teach me.

We spent New Year's Eve at home, playing Phase 10 with Clay's wonderful mom and then New Year's Day we went to my mom's for dinner. Clay and I have been off this past week and have enjoyed some good quality family time. We went to the Idaho Aquarium and Jack loved it. He ran back and forth and told the fishes what to do, where to go and tried to poke them through the glass. There was one shark in the pool where you could touch them that kept swimming the outside of the pool and would jump up on the side, kinda trying to get out and Jack thought it was so funny.

Now, after a week straight of children I think Clay has vowed never to have any more. Jack is going through a very defiant phase and refuses to do anything that he is asked or told to do. I was going to potty train him this week but he's been so naughty that I think he'd just use it against me, he'd probably figure it out and pee all over the couch or something. So, we'll wait until the summer I think and see if he's ready then.

Owen is getting so big. I think I say that every time I update. He's seriously growing up so fast. I can't believe that he is going to be one year old in May. I can't believe that time has gone by so fast. I remember time going by fast with Jack but not this fast. It's crazy what two kids will do to you. I swear Clay has gray hair! Owen started crawling this week, but hasn't mastered the art - I think he forgets that he can crawl so when I put him down he fusses and starts crawling and then remembers and gets happy. It's really funny to watch. I didn't think he was going to crawl, he doesn't really have any reason to. I spoil him and Jack will bring him toys. He really wants to walk but he doesn't quite have the balance yet. I'm sure it'll only be a few months. After MONTHS of Clayton pressuring me to move Owen into his crib I've finally done it. Last night was Owen's first night and he did really well. He slept for 6 hours, woke up to eat - slept in bed with me for three hours, woke up to eat again and then slept in bed for another 3 hours. Today he napped there all day.

Speaking of bed, I should get both kiddos off to bed. Poor Clayton is out there with Jack covered in yogurt and Owen screaming. Best. Husband. Ever.

Hope all is well. <3

Quick update!

These little boys melt my heart. Jack is such a good brother!

He's got so many more teeth! I think we are at a total of 8 now. 

We went to the Idaho Botanical Gardens Winter Garden A'Glow. It was okay, the lights were beautiful but Owen was cold and Jack used up all of his patience waiting in the line to get in.

Jack and I decorated cookies. Or, I should say, we decorated a cookie - one for each of us. I made the cookies while he napped and then the frosting shortly after he woke up. I'm fairly certain he ate half of the frosting I made. Sneaky toddler.

Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa Sigler's! Yes, the got him a super awesome tricyle and badass helmet. And no, his feet cannot reach.

Oh Christmas p.j.s How I love thee! However, getting a two year old to 'sit in front of the tree and say cheese!' at 9:30pm Christmas Eve results in the above and below. 

They match!

And then there is Owen. He should really be a model. He just will smile and ham it up when a camera is in front of his face. Unless he's being attacked by Jack, in which case getting either of them to look happy is impossible.

Oh! and the before and after Christmas shots. 

This was taken as we were rushing out the door to breakfast with Clay's family. Yep, I got to come home to this! 

I'll write more later, I must go help Clay with the screaming children. 

Are you okay?

Last night Jack was a chatter box, which describes his last few days, and I wanted to capture it on the video camera - Until I remembered that it was full and needed to be uploaded onto the computer. So, I got my wonderful husband to complete said task and we then spent the whole night watching old videos of Jack. I cried, a lot. Jack LOVED watching himself on the TV and kept saying 'OWEN?!' and we had to remind him it was Jack. We will have to take a video of him watching the videos of himself, he just smiles and laughs.

Anyway.

We got the video camera just after Jack was born, he was probably two or so months old. But! We were really bad about using it and instead would use the video funtion on our phones. Well, the dog ate my phone and I washed Clay's phone (whoops!) so we thought we lost all of the video of Jack walking. GONE. FOREVER. Until we uploaded the 122 videos of him last night (okay, a few were Owen, but still - 122!? REALLY?!)

There it was. My naked, well diapered but mostly naked, Jack taking some of his first steps. I cried, a lot. I was so happy to have found that small little 4 minute video of a time in our lives that was so exciting and thought to be gone forever. Jack just kept turning to me and asking 'Are you otaaaay?' and helping me wipe my tears.

Where did my little baby go. I kept turning to Clay, tears streaming down my face, saying 'I don't remember him being this little!' It's just another reminder that kids grow up too fast and life just flies by, no matter how hard to try to slow it down.

Happy Thanksgiving!

He melts my heart. 

He so wants to just crawl all over the place! 

Just proof that Jack was there...He was busy throwing an epic fit while I took these pictures. He's getting too smart - he knows that there is candy in the pantry, and when he remembers he wont let it go until he gets some. Well, after only eating candied yams, pie and cake all day I wasn't going to give the already sugar-comma-ed two year old candy. So, he cried for 20 minutes. Oh how I love having a two year old!

But really, this year, I am thankful for so many things. For being able to stay home with my babies, for my hard working husband, for two healthy kids, for a warm home, for my health, for my sanity(though it may not be fully intact), for friends, for parents, for all of the modern technology that makes my life so much easier, for the ability to put food on the table for my family, for the love I have for my husband and he has for me. 

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. 

Here's to Christmas! :)

Fall Leaves!

It is a nightly adventure to see how Jack falls asleep. This has happened a few times. 

He gets so excited when he realizes he can bring his chairs out of the play room and watch TV. He refuses to sit anywhere else. Clearly, he NEEDS to be .5 feet away from the screen.

The child loves football. Anytime it comes on he yells 'FOOTBALL! TOUCH DOWN!' His Daddy is proud.

We went to my Mom's and took pictures in the leaves. It was also a BSU game day so enjoy the children in their Bronco gear! So cute.

The best I think.

Jack didn't enjoy the leaves being thrown on him at all. Owen just looked concerned. 

'CHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEE' in the most high pitch yell you've heard. That's what this picture would say if it could talk. Seriously. Neighbors looked out their windows in concern.

Oh! It SNOWED! Jack LOVED watching the big flakes as I cleaned. He would run from the window in the living room to the sliding glass door. It didn't stick. Damn snow...Seriously. We bought snow pants, shoes, a coat and gloves and a hat and I'm starting to doubt the need for them. 

Halloween, Part 2!

Okay. I'm in touch with the fact that it is indeed November 27th (and yes, I did have to look at the computer's calendar for the date) and I'm just now putting the rest of the Halloween pictures up. Stop judging me. Just enjoy the photos! ...The above picture is the best, yes - the best, of the two of them together. Again, I challenge any of you to get the two of them to sit together and look mildly happy.

OMG. He's adorable. 

This is the face I get when I have the camera in his face for too long. It just screams 'You are nuts, go away...'

Pushing Owen in the stroller.

As the night went on and he got tired he REFUSED to hold my hand, but I found ways...

Owen did so well, strolling in the stroller bundled up in his monkey costume.

Jack loves his aunt Shanda!

The lion and Daddy.

And this was the end of the road for us. After throwing an amazingly awesome temper tantrum in the middle of the side walk during prime trick or treating time we had to steal a sucker from Jack's cousin Eva (thanks again Eva!!) just to get Jack to stand up. Then, he was done. So, out came Owen and in came Jack and we went home!!

And yes, they wore matching pumpkin socks on Halloween. And yes, I made Clay take a picture. 

Love Halloween, but I'm SO glad it's over. It's exhausting!