home again, home again

... jiggity jig.

I definitely felt like doing a jig when we got back home this past Sunday after several consecutive road trips! However my left foot was still tingly from sleeping all scrunched up in the car, so I did not jig.

This crazy summer finally seems to be coming to an end! It's been a fun one but a very busy one at that.

It's ironic how convention season can be both refreshing and exhausting at the same time. We were able to make it to Brownstown, IL convention for the weekend, get the entirety of Malcom, IA convention, and be at almost all of Knoxville, TN convention. It was a lot of traveling and sitting for the boys (and mommy & daddy, too!), but the meetings and fellowship made the effort all worthwhile.

We got to see my parents' new house in TN - it's quite a looker!  Their move-in date is quickly approaching now. I'm very excited for them! We'll be planning a trip down there again once it's livable and ready for company. Even if it is a 15 hour drive to get there (!!).

B & C must have been exhausted from all of our roadtrippin' .. they went to bed at 8pm the night we got back home and slept til 10:45am the next day! That's with a few minor hiccups in the night, of course. It just wouldn't be right if they slept through the night nowadays. I got WAY too spoiled during the third, fourth, and fifth months when they slept ALL through the night with no disruptions! They haven't done that for awhile now - not since teething, sitting, teething, crawling, teething, pulling up, and teething began. But that's ok, they do fairly well ... I just need to remind myself that it could be much worse. Like, there could be 3 of them.

Thing 1 and Thing 2 are very mobile now and crawling all over the place and getting into everything. These are the days that I've dreaded, but now that we're in it, it's not so bad. Every stage has had it's challenges, so it's just a new challenge. It's really fun to watch them play, interact with them, and watch them interact with each other. Although they tend to *not* play well together more than they *do* play well together ... from what I've observed, it seems that Brayden is very content to play on his own and would rather not be bothered when in his own little world. Cooper needs a buddy. When together in the designated play area (barricaded living room), B goes from playing with one toy to the next ... with C following him. If B goes over and pounds on the keyboard, C goes over and pounds on the keyboard; if B crawls over to the other side of the room to pull up on the couch, C follows on his heels. Cooper also has a habit of licking Brayden's head (for whatever reason), which makes Brayden very upset. He doesn't agree with these "Cooper kisses." Sometimes I pick up Brayden and see wet spots all over his head! Brotherly love?? I don't know.

All for now - I'm going to take the boys outside to enjoy this lovely fall-ish weather!!

~ pics from our trips ~

"not another road trip ... oh my"

"zzz"

helping us set up our tent at Brownstown!

got to see Craig Kenna & Addison!

... and chase Addison all around the camper :)

It's still weird to drive past the Charleston/Mattoon sign without exiting

after doing so for many, many years!

just doing his daily pushups

chilling in a tub at Malcom

Cooper decided the tub could fit two

playing with friends at Malcom

the best pic I could get in the dark of Amy with her nephews at Knoxville

big squeeeeeze!!!

I think B is saying "oof"

C getting Gram & Calliegh snuggles

Brayden Robert w/ Great-Grandpa Robert 'Bob' Spencer

the Spencer family at Knoxville, TN (missing Eric, Jen & kids)

-Papa Robert holding Brayden Robert-

Chauffeur Cooper: "Please buckle your seat belts."

King of the Road

from pack n plays .....

..... to cozy cribs back at home!