Cider Days

Last weekend we ventured out to Louisburg for their annual Cider Days. It was a beautiful, crisp, Fall day. Logan immediately wanted to try out the way-too-big for a toddler inflatable obstacle course. He loved bouncing through and was asking for "mo-mo" as soon as he was done!

His favorite part of the trip was watching the cider mill in action. We discuss the process several times a day:

1. Water (apples are washed with giant hoses in a big pool of water)

2. Up, up, up (the apples are carried up on a conveyor belt)

3. Dump (the apples are the dumped into a machine that begins smashing them)

4. Squeeze (a machine spins and squeezes all of the juice out of the apple mash)

5. Juicy (Logan gets apple cider delivered by...)

6. Daddy, donut.He also loved the pumpkins!

He showed off just how big and strong he is by picking up the pumpkins!

One Little Monkey...

jumped on his big boy bed! Last weekend we decided that it was time to disassemble Logan's crib and upgrade him to a big boy bed. We realized that all the bumps and bruises from escaping the crib probably weren't that great of a look! He absolutely loves his bed! After we get his beloved Cars jammies on (thank you Cousin Anthony!) he climbs up and immediately starts jumping and throwing himself down! When we finally wrangle him into his covers we read Truckery Rhymes. Then he asks mommy to snuggle. We cuddle up and talk about his day and all of the marvelous tow trucks, fire trucks, bulldozers, and dump trucks he will dream about that evening. He has stayed in his bed every night and is even sleeping better than he has in months!

We also gave up the binky last weekend. WOW. To all of the mommies that told me that he would forget about it after only a couple of days or ask about it twice and then be fine, my son is STILL asking for the thing! It was a rough adjustment but he is doing much better now. He has had a great week at day care and Miss Laura says he is like a whole new kid. She said he's been so much happier this week and talking a lot more. It is scary to say but I believe that the last of the "baby" stage is over. Oh wait, I am still changing diapers!!

Super Sweet Big Boy Logan

Monster Face Big TWO-year-old Logan

Logan is TWO!!

Two years ago we welcomed Logan James into the world nearly three months early. He weighed just 2 lbs. 12.3 oz. Despite being scared out of our minds, we were so excited to be his parents and fell in love instantaneously!

After a year of ups and downs, numerous appointments, and winter lock downs our baby turned one! He amazed us with all of his new tricks, walking, talking, and tantrums! It was a much more relaxed time in our lives because we realized that he was no longer a preemie and just a normal kid!

Then we blinked and all of a sudden Logan turned TWO!!! Wouldn't you know that all of our doctors were right, by two he is all caught up and healthy as can be! We couldn't be more proud of our big guy! He has become quite a character and is still full of all of the determination, stubbornness, and persistence that he had they day he was born!

We had a wonderful weekend celebrating Logan's birthday! Friday he brought "cuppies" to Miss Laura's house to share with all of his friends. Miss Laura reported that he had a great day (music to mama's ears!).

After a nice nap, we took Logan to dinner at the T-Rex cafe. He was a little apprehensive at first but soon he was leaping up from the table to go explore all of the fish tanks, mechanical dinosaurs, and of course, the truck!

He was surprised to see the staff singing and clapping a happy birthday song to him! He got a great, big chocolate chip cookie with a scoop of ice cream! YUM!! Before our waitress could bring him a spoon he had shoved his face into the ice cream for a taste!

After dinner we stopped by Dave and Busters to play some games. Logan liked throwing the skee balls with Daddy. Eventually we realized that our Birthday Boy was getting a bit sleepy and there were still gifts to be opened at home.

After gift opening he gathered up his new tractor, forklift, cars, and as many trucks as he could hold and went off to sleep! Kasey and I stayed up late preparing for the big truck party that was taking place on Saturday.

We had a busy morning running a lot of errands! Here is Logan surrounded by all of his balloons in the backseat!

Our truck party was ready for all of our Kansas friends and family. I took some pictures for our family and friends that weren't able to join us, we missed you!!

Welcome to the party!

This was the birthday present opening station! The pictures on the "zero, one, two" signs are the same ones from the beginning of the post. We got SO many compliments on Logan's custom-made Uncle John wooden trucks!

Logan's cake was a big hit! The truck makes noise, drives by itself, and has flashing lights, oooh!

Logan was just the cutest during his birthday song! He just grinned at everyone!

Mommy and Daddy helped Logan make a big birthday wish and blow out the candles!

Mmm, the best part, licking off the frosting!

Logan was spoiled with many new trucks and toys! Our house will never be the same! He was so excited to open his brand new bike!! It fits him just right! He even knows to put his feet on the pedals! Watch out neighborhood, here he comes!

Thank you for all of the warm birthday wishes! He truly had a very happy "dooda!"

Happy doda to Logan!

I think this is the greatest video we've taken! Kasey recorded Logan singing "Happy Birthday" to himself while eating his cupcake! Too funny!

Look Who Came to Visit...

Emmy and Lori!! Last weekend half of the Pelling family came to visit Kansas City. We had such a great time! Friday night we went to Tomfooleries for dinner. The kids were quite surprised when their meals showed up in a wagon!

I'm not sure if Logan was more excited about the wagon or his PIZZA, his new favorite food.

Saturday was jam packed with fun! We went to Crown Center's Kaleidoscope. Lori and I were just as excited to play with all of the cards, bows, markers, stickers, and paint as the kids were! Logan was more interested in drawing on his lips than on his crown.

Daddy and Logan even made a truck puzzle! There was so much to see and do!

Emmy had a blast painting her snake with hot wax in a room filled with black lighting.

Logan, however, was not so excited about the snake! He did enjoy playing with all of the gadgets in the spaceship!

After our session ended at Kaleidoscope we headed to the Crayola Cafe for lunch. Although their meals did not come on wheels, they enjoyed drinking juice from their crayon souvenir cups. Emmy and Logan even picked up some new shades!

After lunch we headed outside to let the kids cool off in the fountain. Emmy had a blast running around and dancing through the water. She tried very hard to get her pal to join her but he was just not that into it...

That night the girls came over for dinner and visiting. The following morning Logan and I went down to the plaza for some shopping and lunch with our friends.

We had such a nice weekend and we were very sad to see it come to an end. We are so lucky to have such amazing friends and we miss them SO much! A day hasn't passed that Logan doesn't ask for his girl Emmy several times!

Welcome to Kansas

Well, we did it. We packed up our home, loaded it into a truck, drove for a LONG ten hours,

Logan followed the Yellow Brick Road (this is for real, it sparkles, and it is at a mall here in KS!), and we settled into our new home in Olathe, Kansas. The first 48 hours were a little chaotic. Unloading a truck in humid, upper-90 degree weather was not pleasant for anyone! It was also a bit difficult figuring out where all of our oversized furniture was going to fit! And yet, here I sit, with only a few more pictures left to hang, pretty much settled. Of course, I have to thank my wonderful driving buddy and brother, Paul, task-master Auntie Cindy, and my own personal handy man Uncle John for being such a tremendous help on our big adventure!

Kasey has been going into work 3-4 days a week for a few hours. He seems to really like it! He has a big office, will where a shirt and tie everyday, and his phone beeps regularly with new work emails! I guess he had to grow up sometime! He has also been catching up with all of his pals. I think they are really happy to have him close!

Logan is great! About two weeks ago he decided he was going to talk!! It seems like he adds a new word or two to his vocabulary everyday! He is repeating us too, better start censoring! Some of his new words are piggy, binky, nogurt (yogurt), jump, Nogoo (Logan), boom-boom (fireworks), wawa (water). Lately we've been hearing a lot of "pee-pee!" He has been experimenting with his potty seat. He will usually tell us he needs to use the potty at least four times a day. Afterwards he immediately reminds us about his "nem-in-nem" (m&m)! He is becoming such a big boy! I can barely believe that he is going to be two in less than two months!

I am slowly but surely learning my way around. I have met my mentor and several of the teachers and staff at Moonlight Elementary. Everyone is incredibly nice and supportive. I am a bit worried about learning a brand new curriculum and getting my room set up in a very short time but I know it will all work out. I get a bit homesick when I am bored so I try to stay as busy as possible. Logan and I have been loading up the jogging stroller with water and Goldfish and hitting the trail right down the street from our house. We recently discovered a park on the trail that is about 2.5 miles from home. It is a really nice escape for the both of us! However, I just saw the weather for the next week and I believe we will be staying inside for a while!

I am very lucky that my sister and brother-in-law came to stay with us for four days over the Fourth of July. Logan was also very happy because they brought him an early birthday present, a pirate ship water table!! Our neighbors probably don't think he has any clothes because he is always running around the backyard in a diaper spilling water on himself!

We had a really nice visit and I was sad to see them go. I am still secretly wishing that they will come live in my basement one day! I am already looking forward to my pal Lori's visit and Logan will be SO happy to see Emmy. In mid-August my parents will come stay with us for a week.

We are really lucky that our friends Brett and Katie let us come crash their pool! Logan has no fear, of course, and doesn't mind going under the water. I think he loves seeing his Daddy freak out! He also has a new love, his "wah-oo" (guitars) shades! Too funny!!

We have been very lucky to spend some time with our niece Grace who is visiting from Washington. Logan chases her around screaming "Grace!" She has been more than happy to take care of him! She especially loves reading him his books before bed. This past weekend Grace and Grandma B. stayed with us. Whenever Logan couldn't see his Grandma he would look around and yell, "B!" Mommy and Daddy pretty much were nonexistent!

On Monday, Grandma B., Grace, Logan and I explored Deanna Rose Farm. It was so much fun! The kids panned for gold, fed goats and ducks, Grace took a pony ride, climbed all over old tractors, and slid down slides. We didn't even see half of it! Logan and I will definitely be heading back!

Logan would have been happy to stay here all day and splash in the water!

This is before the bottle-crazy goats knocked him on his bottom and he decided feeding baby goats was for the birds!

Thank you for all of the calls, texts, emails, and facebook posts checking in on us! We are doing well and hope you are too! Our change of address cards will be out by August! If you are in Kansas, come on by, we'd love visitors! If you are elsewhere, we miss you, keep in touch, and plan a visit! xo.

Play Ball!

Well, it was inevitable, Logan LOVES baseball! Auntie Lauren and Uncle Brian thought that this tee ball set was a necessity. Every morning when we come downstairs Logan says "baball" (translation ball or baseball) and runs to find a round object to throw! When the boys are watching a game you can hear Logan saying "gocubsgo," although it usually doesn't help the Cubs win! Kasey has been working on his grip, making sure that he has two hands on the bat. Usually he gives it a big caveman chop off of the tee so dad is working on improving his swing!

This video is of some BP that was taking place in our driveway! As soon as Logan hears the garage door go up around 4:00 he heads for the gate and exclaims "BABALL!" Poor Kasey barely gets a chance to relax before practice begins!