“We got a doggie! We got a dog!”
“Wait . . . Is it our dog?!”
-Vaughn
Yes! It’s our dog, Josie!
The boys have been wanting a dog for a couple of years, but Eric kept saying “maybe.” Finally, Vaughn, the self-proclaimed dog whisperer, said, “Either you tell me we are NEVER getting a dog, or I need to know when!”
We finally decided to pull the trigger and, while Eric and I were on a research mission, we fell in love with a puppy and brought her home that night. Logan and Vaughn had no idea and were so surprised (see Welcome Home video). We quickly found out how unprepared we were and have since invested in baby gates, LOTS of chew toys, a bottle of Nature’s Miracle and a pheromone diffuser to chill out the cats. We are all over the moon for Josie (except for one of the cats, but she only likes Emily anyway).
Vaughn told us one night, “This is the best thing that has ever happened.”
Summer of Independence
Logan did Junior Guards (JG’s) for the very first time, and his summer went something like this . . . JG’s in the mornings with friends, maybe lunch at the snack shack, the rest of the afternoon at the beach or at the pool with buddies, then try to scheme that into a sleepover…repeat. I think he really only wore shoes & a shirt when he went to soccer training. Logan – “Yes, I know, my summer was pretty epic.” While Vaughn’s summer was great too, with similar afternoons at the pool or beach with friends, it wasn’t as over-the-top as Logan’s. You bet he’s jealous, chomping at the bit for all the independence his older brother has. His new year’s resolution? 2018 will be the “Year of Sleepovers” for him. Um, shot across the bow to parents of Vaughn’s friends. You’ve been warned!
While our annual summer trip to Indiana was pushed-back a few weeks until Junior Guards ended – and kept a little shorter too, our boys got to go fishing for the very first time – in Paw Paw’s pond and loved it (thank you, Dad & Sara!). Barely had time to fit-in a venture to Kings Island with their cousins, and we certainly missed some family & friends on this trip. Looking forward to a return trip!
The summer started-off with a California visit from the Savages (my sister, Sara, Chris, Jonah & Ila). They don’t get to visit us that often and, now that the kids are older, we get to broaden our adventures. It felt like we really got to have them feel a bit of our summer life, and we want more times like these! A simple walk home on the beach from dinner at the pier – with both families together – will be a lasting memory for us. I think Eric might add that he can’t wait to take Chris back to Old Tony’s “crow’s nest” bar for another Mai Tai!
Spring & Fall filled with Sports, Sports, Sports
Both kids played soccer this year, baseball and flag football, and Vaughn played basketball too. We know many families with 3-4 kids that do the same, and we have no idea how they keep up. While it makes for a lot of craziness with scheduling, carpools, etc., we enjoy watching the boys learn new things and, let’s face it, keep active. Eric’s mom, aka Nana, was a trooper, sometimes going to 3 games in one day. She particularly likes the baseball games and those burgers from the snack shack! 😉
In the free moments between school and sports, the kids want to see their friends AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. It always seems there are 4-5 kids in our car or at our house. We are thankful for the amazing parents that have our kids flow in and out of their houses each week too. It definitely takes a village and we feel very lucky to have one.
A Year of Clearing out the Clutter
I went on a kind of psycho-whole-house-cleaning-mission and rented a storage pod to park in the driveway for a month. After dumping one room at a time into it and clearing the clutter, we had a big yard sale. While I never really want to do a yard sale like that again, a big positive was Vaughn selling his artwork at it. It was something he’d been wanting to do for a while and it was fun to see him get positive feedback. Looking forward to planning an “Art Sale” only next time around.
Eric also cleared out the clutter and moved his office space this year. It was a big project to overhaul and clean out a warehouse he’d had for 17 years. Now that the dust has settled, he’s very happy in his streamlined new space that is West of PCH and 10 minutes from home.
We are now ready for NO MORE CLEANING PROJECTS! At least not for a while. 🙂
I think I might know the answer to, “Where does the time go?” We fill it up!
More & more on the kids’ plates, more & more on the schedule…and then we throw-in a puppy! It all just means only more new memories to make, and we try to capture as many as we can. But, shoot, looking for a picture of just the 4 of us from this year, this is the best we could do. At least my eyes made it in!
After a year of big changes, we know more changes are coming – inevitably so – as we look ahead and savor Logan’s last few months of elementary school. Can’t believe this is the last year the boys will be in the same school together until Logan’s a senior in high school!
What’s next? It won’t be a slowed pace in 2018 – it just can’t be, and that’s just fine. We’re grateful for our health, friends & family. Happy New Year to you all.
Please enjoy our video.
Happy New Year!