life right now.

everything is back to "busy" around our house. however, our version of busy isn't terribly busy in comparison - so for that i am grateful.

summer is officially over, in a way. the weather is still mostly warm which is good because i can't bear to think about winter, christmas, thanksgiving, halloween, snow, ice, space heaters, coats,  boots, socks or anything related to COLD. there have been some sweaters and long-sleeved shirts here and there, and it's hard to admit but i've somewhat enjoyed it. hopefully by the time winter comes i will feel better prepared for it. and maybe not living in the middle of nowhere in a huge terribly cold farmhouse will help.

aaron and i have been back in school for 2 weeks now. there has been lots of whining, but also some happiness on both ends. we both feel a little more motivated this year. there is just more peace and clarity in our decisions right now and we have bigger goals and plans and priorities in mind. not to say that we have it all figured out in the least. i'm taking one class on campus this semester and one online. the best part about my on campus class is that aaron and the boys have taken me both weeks so far! i am so happy about that because i love long drives with my family and my coffee. (our school is over an hour away.)

there are homeschooling books all over the place. (i'll mention our start back to homeschooling another day.) we finally went to the library in the little town we live in (usually we go to the one in another town nearby) - and i was nicely surprised with it! i get to a point where i feel like i've read every book of interest in a library, so it is always nice to find a new one :)

we are moving sooner than later.  leaving behind all these pretty painted walls with nice lighting pouring in the windows and all the corn and soy bean fields makes my heart cringe. our new house has an adorable upstairs with white walls and wood floors and it has lots of trees and a woodsy feel - so that is good. and i like change. i actually LIKE moving. so for those reasons i am excited and happy.

these photos were taken at the end of july, the evening before asher's birthday at our neighbor's wood pile. i love how they are doing almost the exact same thing in these photos, it weirds me out when that happens. i guess they are truly brothers. and in just over a month they have already grown a little older and longer and bigger. sigh.

happy weekend.

many wishes for a weekend filled with cardboard box rocket ships, 

baby blond curls 

and rediculously cute little faces to you all!

grilling out + roman photos.

just some photos i took a couple weeks ago when we were waiting at the park to grill out with aaron's parents...
asher growing big and tall,

 baby bed hair

and asher and daddy hanging out. i always love how those two look together :)

roman didn't make an appearance in my photos that day, but he did agree to take some photos of asher and i in front of the silos that are across the street from our house.

we always try to keep roman awake on our way home by saying, "whoever sees the silos first wins!." i don't even know how many times we've said that phrase along with, "do you see the silos?" keeping roman awake is always a challenge and if he naps - it's a nightmare at night. it's so sweet because now he always pretends that he doesn't see the silos to give us a chance to "win" or he says, "the whole family wins!" love that little voice in the backseat. i still always think of the house we lived in when he turned two and how his teeny little 2 year old voice sounded when he said, "we're home!" from the backseat  as we pulled in. :) these little memories are some of the best for sure.

brothers.

bath time :)

little.

"you can always call me little, but i won't always be little."

this is what roman said to me the other night and it broke my heart as motherhood always does. these photos were taken a while back and they definately capture a little bit of the sweetness that is roman. his namaw and papaw bought this curious george for him on his second Christmas and that round little sweet monkey face reminded me just of roman as a toddler. he has certainly already grown since these photos were taken in june. another summer has passed leaving him a little bigger. but he is still  just as sugary sweet and precious to me as the day he was born. and he still has that bright shining round smiling face. i'm thankful that i can always call him little,

 and i'm thankful that today he still is.

end of summer + computer photos.

we've totally been immersed in and enjoying the end of our summer and also the end of our life here in our country home. i just haven't been taking photos, haven't been working out, and have been spending more time just soaking in summer and the days at home with my littles.

 life lately has been full of cleaning and organizing like a maniac, beginning to pack, signing a lease on our new  house in town that is tucked away just enough to make us feel like we aren't in town (thank goodness for my husband's fantastic house finding abilities), deciding on classes for the fall (i STILL have yet to register...), swirling ideas for romey's homeschool going on in my head constantly, joking around with roman and hearing all his wonderful plans for his "school" that he is creating, watching asher change from a baby to a toddler in a blink of an eye, cudding with aaron as the weather slowly is changing to fall.

and slowly accepting the change of it all ;)

time with my oldest boy during asher's nap.

and i had to include this one of asher when he fell asleep on my shoulder :)

brothers.

 yes, every morning around here pretty much starts with roman in tears because asher is attempting to yank roman's hair out.sweet little asher is a total lover of biting and swiping us in the face. i don't know what it is, but he seriously loves to attack us. i guess maybe the reaction is just so exciting to him. i'm not for sure, but he just delights in kicking me in the face as hard as he can, or trying to bite my face off. it can be very trying at moments.
and i've realized by watching my four year old's reaction to this, that roman displays much more patience than i do. i may not cry out as much as roman does, although i definately have my, "ASHER" moments when he is yanking my hair out and kicking me in the face at the same time... but roman is quick to forgive and overall has been amazing with having a fighting biting little brother who doesn't share and doesn't cooperate!
 i want to say that i am more mature and patient and kind than a four year, but some days i really feel like it is the other way around. it's amazing the things that our little ones teach us. roman, with his gentle love towards our family inspires me. so here's to today - a day for me that will probably be filled with listening to roman's plans for his newest creation,  "spooky buddies" and yes probably a few bites from my littlest. hopefully i can handle it with as much grace as a four year old :)

brown county, indiana. 

(p.s. this was taken on our vacation when roman still had a terrible black eye from running into a picnic table!)