July Update

***A couple days early but we have a hectic weekend ahead***

Outside my window . . . it's sunny but the sun will be setting soon

I am thinking . . . of a potential business opportunity. Lots to think about!!

I am thankful for . . . girl talk. It's wonderful to talk to other mommies who totally understand what I go through. We mommas must stick together!

I am going . . . back to work in the morning so tonight will be busy. At least there are only 2 days until the weekend.

I am wondering . . . how soon the speech therapist will contact me to set up an appointment.

I am reading . . . A Time to Dance by Karen Kingsbury

I am hoping . . . to finish sorting through Levi's old clothes before tomorrow night. I procrastinated long enough considering the yard sale is this weekend. Oops!

I am looking forward to . . . our fun filled weekend!

I am hearing . . . Brian give the boys a shower. It's the small tasks that he does that I greatly appreciate.

Around the house . . . are a ton of clean clothes that need to be put away. I've worked hard at catching up on this daunting task.

One of my favorite things . . . is spending our evenings together watching some TV before bed.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . Brian's family reunion on Saturday morning, Brian & I are going to a wedding on Saturday afternoon (kid free!!), & a day trip to Holiday World on Sunday.

Happy Campers

Brian & I bought our first camper (a pop-up) last May. We camped twice in the fall & once earlier this year with it & were hooked. Brian grew up camping with both of his parents while I only camped once as a child. Both of us have always wanted to have something special to do as a family that will be fun, exciting, adventurous, & memorable. Camping has become that for us. 

Jump ahead to May 2016...Brian is full speed ahead on a search for a newer camper for us. I agreed right away but gave him a strict budget. We quickly realized our expectations were a little far fetched so we re-budgeted & agreed on a new price to stick to. We checked a few out & lost out on a really good deal right away. Brian came across this camper about a month ago:

Brian contacted the owner immediately & we scheduled a time to look at it the next day. We assumed it would quickly sell so we had earnest money handy & I'm glad we did because someone else was coming to look at it after us. I quickly fell in love with the layout & decor. While Brian loved the storage & extra space. After discussing it over dinner, we made up our minds that this was the ONE!! In a matter of a couple days, we were pulling into our driveway with a new toy...and we couldn't be happier. Here's an inside look:

Queen size bed (brand new memory foam mattress was given to us by previous owners)

Full working kitchen. Couch & table both turn into beds.

Bunk beds for the kids. Don't mind the messy comforter--the boys were wrestling. :)

Bathroom has a vanity just behind the door.

I'm super excited to share our camping adventures with you throughout the years!!! Do any of you have any camping do's or don'ts?

Summer Update

We have been super busy making lots of memories since Logan has been out of school. I hope you're enjoying the summer break as much as we are. Here are some pictures to highlight some of our favorites:

TMNT movie time with cousins

Daddy teaching Levi about gun safety (don't worry...it's a BB gun)

Logan practicing him aim

Working on his kicks for swim class

Snack break!

Splish, splash

Beautiful night for an Otters game

This is our solution to a pool :)

1st sleepover at our house. Cousin Landon stayed over & we got Donut Bank for breakfast

Sprinkler fun

Recap: January Edition

Brady thought the extremely cold weather was ridiculous

We took the kids to an Icemen game. It was Star Wars night & the boys loved it! They also enjoyed watching the fights. :)

Lowe's fun while I'm trying to decide on light fixtures

Logan reading his bible to my mom

The boys & I ventured to the zoo this past weekend since the weather was wonderful. Logan's smile & pose cracks me up!

Levi had a check-up with his orthopedic doctor so he was treated to Donut Bank for breakfast

Our very own winter wonderland

Logan was totally done with our Lowe's trip

Someone lost his 1st tooth!!!

Cousin play time

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Changes are coming........

I found this quote today while browsing on Pinterest & it is very fitting for the different things that are about to take place in the Gaiser household. Some of our changes aren't that big or drastic but to us, it's a huge deal. :) Here are the big changes that are coming soon:

1. As you can tell, my blog design has already changed. I thought this would be a great time to re-vamp the look & get back into the swing of things. With so many other changes, why not add 1 more to the list???

2. A huge milestone taking place next month is Logan starting kindergarten. I have so many emotions wrapped up in this one. I'm so proud of him & how much he has grown in the short 5 years he's been with us. On the other hand, he's my first-born & therefore I hover over him like a crazy momma. My feelings range from happiness, sadness, emptiness, worry, anxiety, curiosity, & excitement for him. This is HUGE for both of us & I know he'll be just fine but I'm still entitled to be a basket case until then. :)

3. Brian & I compiled a list of projects we would like to work on around the house. We've been in our new home for almost a year now & are ready to get our hands dirty. Some of the projects are small & simply while others will be quite the task:

• Fresh wall paint in the hallway/stairwell to our upstairs----I already have my picture frames purchased for the collage I want to hang
• Replace the shades in all of our bedrooms & hang curtains----I'm going to reuse the all of our curtain rods & the curtains from Logan's room in our old house to cut some cost
• Put in a swimming pool
• Add a wrap-around porch to the house
• Completely redo the upstairs bathroom
• New flooring in our basement hallway (we replaced the carpet in the living area before we moved in based on necessity)
• Repaint the room we use as a kids' playroom----it's currently a light brown & I want a bright, fun color
• Make handmade furniture for our living room----we have a ton of old barn wood for these projects that will significantly cut down our cost

4. The biggest change (and one that will make the biggest impact) is that I'm accepting a position within my department that will allow me to work less hours so I can be home with the boys more. This is something I have wanted since I went back to work after having Levi & now it's able to happen. I will only work 40 every pay period; which equates to 3 days on week #1 & 2 days on week #2. The biggest perks are that I will have a set schedule (both days & time), no weekends to work, & I'll be off on all major holidays. I have been very fortune to not have to work too many holidays or weekends so far but this will be a guarantee. I love that I will be home about 1 p.m. on the days that I work. This will allow for me to pick Logan up from school, get his homework done, make dinner, & be present for any activities he is in. I'm beyond excited for this change to take place!

5. The 2nd biggest change is that we're completely re-working our budget; partly to make #4 happen but also to see exactly where we can save a little money. Like all families, we have our quirks on what we like to blow money on & I know we can cut some of that back. We still want to be able to go places & do fun things with the kids but maybe scale it back a little. I mean....do we really need to make 3-4 ice cream runs during the summer? (Secretly, part of me says YES! while the rational part of me is frowning)

I can't wait to share the status of our many changes with you. Some will happen very soon while others may take months, even years, to complete but I know it will be an adventure worth the ride!!

Family Vacation: May 2015

When Brian & I discussed our vacation plans for this summer, we knew we wanted to go with his mom's side of the family & somewhere that nobody has been to. In the 11 years we have been a couple, we haven't been on a vacation with them. So we were very excited to have the chance to spend time with everyone for a few days. We also knew we would only be able to plan a shorter trip because of some families' work commitments, softball tournaments, etc. Our decision was quickly made to go to.....Cincinnati, OH. I was very excited to take the kids to the zoo & aquarium (I heard great reviews on both). My sister-in-law found a hotel just outside of the city that was much cheaper than we expected (awesome for our budget!) plus it was close to many restaurants & shopping. 

Day 1: Brian & I left around lunch on Saturday & made great timing along the way. I packed plenty of snacks & movies for the trip to occupy the kids; not only on the way to & from but also while we were in the hotel room. I also packed some lunch trays for everyone so we wouldn't have to stop for food on the way. Timing was on our side because once the kids finished lunch, Levi fell asleep shortly after. Our drive was about 3 1/2 hours & very pleasant, with only 1 potty stop along the way. :) We were the last to arrive (because I went to STL the day before with my other sisters-in-law to see the NKOTB concert) that afternoon so all we were able to sneak into our evening was dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory & a trip to Bass Pro Shop.

Day 2: Zoo day!!!

Brian, his brother Jim, & 4 of the boys

Jim wasn't as thrilled about the zoo as some of the others

This was the best pic I could get at the end of a long, hot day

Our only family pic taken on vacation

Day 3: Aquarium & touring day

KY Firefighter's memorial

Historic church inside an arboretum we saw on our way back to the hotel

It was a very serene drive

Another chapel hidden in the trees

On Day 4, we packed everything up & headed back to IN. The kids were worn out every night from our daily adventures, swimming, & general play time with all of the cousins. My only regret is that I didn't take more pictures (I got caught up in the fun times we had & forgot to take pics...oops!) We enjoyed the time we spent with everyone: Nana, Papaw Rick, Nathan, Chrissy, Taylor, Degan, Jim, Nicki, Lilly, Liam, & Daniel.  This was a big group to get together but I'm so glad we made it work!

Go Rest High On That Mountain!

My grandpa & Logan

 

On Wednesday February 11, 2015, my grandpa went to be with our Lord. He lived an amazing life for 89 years. He lived his life true to the bible & anyone who knew him would attest to this. He served our Lord through his church, volunteering at our local food pantry, our family Christmas tree farm, & in his every day life. I'm beyond blessed to have had such a wonderful role model & man in my life. He was a very kind hearted, soft spoken, loving man & I will miss him dearly. Below are some pictures I wanted to share to show you a little bit about my Poppy. :)

 

My wedding day: 3-4-06

My family (including my uncle Bill from ND) celebrating my Poppy's 89th birthday last March

Poppy teaching Logan how to sort the pecans they gathered

Obviously, I was VERY excited about my rocking horse: 1986

 

Logan & Poppy enjoying a cookie & Ski in the barn: 3 years ago