Texas in April

I remember being a kid and wondering why Summer was such a big deal to my parents. Why did it create such a fuss and require so much planning? School being out was such a great thing, right? As a parent, of three boys, I feel I've earned the right to say that it's GREAT, but pretty stressful at times too. It is a constant struggle to keep the boys involved in an activity, at home or out and about, in order to keep the peace. Sure, they can go outside or in the basement and play for a couple hours, but prepare yourself for the screams and tears. "MOM, Noah bit me!" or my favorite, "Bubba not nice"

Nonetheless, we have had an amazing summer thus far and been on a few wonderful adventures. In April, we took a 10 day journey to Texas to visit Grandma and Grandpa. Matthew had business in Dallas through the work week, so the boys had their full attention and a ton of planned out activities. The boys went golfing, golf cart driving, tractor riding with Uncle Scott, and learned new activities like dodge ball, indoor hockey and more. We also took a day trip to the Austin Thinkery, which is full of thought provoking activities for children of all ages. The boys loved shooting rockets with Grandpa, splashing in the water play area with Grandma and so much more. We even had the opportunity to attend the Red Poppy Festival, which is a really neat artsy festival in Georgetown downtown square. The boys loved the gladiator ring, artwork activities and of course, the popcorn!

Final decent into Austin!!!!

Asher loved the airplane ride with Daddy

It took just a little while to warm up to Uncle Andy, but they were best buddies by the time we left. 

Lesson of the day, "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball". The boys loved gym time with "Mr. Tom, er I mean Uncle Scott". No idea why they kept calling him Mr. Tom

Running plays with their cousin, Isaiah, Uncle Scott, Grandpa and Daddy

Isaiah helped teach the boys a few things about football, like catching, throwing and they even enjoyed watching Daddy run plays with Isaiah

Grandpa tried all morning to build a rocket that would fly...

The boys launched their rockets and aimed for the red hoops. I seem to remember one going through. It was an awesome experiment and these guys love anything that flies!

Noah loved sporting Grandma's glasses every time we rode in her car

Asher loved his first golf cart ride with Grandpa. It's been one of the boys favorite activities since day one. Elijah's first golf cart ride was when he was a few months old and rode safely secured in the Baby Bjorn. 

Doing anything with Grandpa is their favorite activity...even pruning the rose bush.

Abby played left field while the boys played a little wiffle ball with Grandma. 

Noah had the opportunity to take a special walk with Grandpa and Abby Dog. He was so excited about it and he just glows with pride when he's doing things with Grandpa

Asher loved sitting out back with Grandma and enjoying the golfers that passed. Always entertaining 

They had record rainfall while we were visiting. The golf course will often have mini lakes and a whitewater river flowing through when this happens, so Grandma took us on an adventure to see it all. The boys loved the puddle stomping and raking the pond-like sand traps. 

The Gladiator Ring. Two men enter, then they fall down. We may need to purchase one of these for home use. 

It's always a challenge to get everyone today, but this time, even Abby Dog was looking at the camera smiling! Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for another amazing visit!

Getting Back on the Wagon

I suppose it's obvious I've been off the blogging wagon for a bit. This is especially true considering one of our biggest followers has removed us from his favorites list. But as life settles here in Georgia, it's time to get back on the wagon and share some photos with those of you who care to know what's going on with the Bowerman Family these days.

To recap the past YEAR, I took the position as Director of Case Management at Carolinas Hospital System. It was exciting, busy, stressful and a fantastic opportunity to lead a group of dedicated women in an ever changing healthcare system. With this exciting venture, we also started a new chapter with the news of our pregnancy. Our Bowerman Family would welcome our third son, Asher Wyatt, in August. It was only a few months after all of these exciting changes that Matt found a new employment opportunity with Mercedes-Benz USA. After three interesting years with Nucor Steel, it was time to move onto another opportunity that would challenge him in new and wonderful ways. Unfortunately, this new position required a move from South Carolina to Georgia before Asher's arrival. To say May through August was a challenge would be a horrendous understatement, but we managed to get things taken care of and make the move in stride.

We found a wonderful home in Milton, Georgia and moved in on August 3rd, 2015. Asher arrived 17 days later on August 20th! Since then, it's been a whirlwind of adventures, painting and lots of quality time that I missed greatly while serving in the Director position. What will follow in this blog is a recap of some of the adventures since our move to Georgia. Enjoy!

Asher Wyatt Bowerman, born August 20th

Asher meeting his big brothers at the hospital

Noah was surprisingly possessive of Asher, saying "my baby" each time he held Asher

We were so grateful to have family visiting one after another for the first several months in our new home. It was such a help to me and so enjoyable for the boys.

Lala meeting Asher for the first time

Our adventure to the Georgia Aquarium-watching the Penguins

The albino alligator was a fan favorite!

Over the past several months, the boys have really started to dress up more and more. It's terribly entertaining seeing what they come upstairs wearing and what adventures they're on each time

One of the many perks of Matt's new job is the opportunity to bring home different prototype cars or cars that are not yet available to the general public. This was one of them and quite "special" indeed. I couldn't tell you a thing about it, besides it looked very nice in the driveway, sounded beautiful and cost more than our first house!

These boys so enjoyed tummy time with Asher-roo, as we have nicknamed him

I'm such a sucker for that sweet grin of his. He's definitely the baby and had me wrapped around his finger from day one!

As fall came quickly, so did the leaves. Each day, the boys and I would try to manage the piles. We all enjoyed diving in after all the hard work

Once again, we've been blessed with awesome neighbors, one of which is a race care fanatic, motor sports entrepreneur and stand in grandpa of sorts. His personal race car, a 1958 Ford Custom 300 2-door sedan, was out one day and he allowed the boys to take a tour. It was amazing, to say the least!

A family selfie, before our family photo session that included Matt

Noah's first football game with his Daddy

Cakelyn even came out for a fall visit. The boys were so elated to have her here with us! We can't wait for our next visit!

Asher grabbing a few Zzzz's on Cakelyn 

Elijah and Noah have been attending a small Episcopal Church Preschool program since September. During the fall, we took a field trip to a local farm and learned about the animals, the lifecycle of a tree (it was a Christmas tree farm) and even took a hay ride to the pond.

Elijah had no problem rolling up his sleeves and doing some "man-work" on the farm. His class got to plant a new tree during their visit

One of our family favorites is Scottsdale Farm. It's actually located in Milton, GA, so very close to us. They have events for each season, a very large selection of plants and flowers, as well as live animals to enjoy. This tree swing is one of the many things we enjoy during our visits. 

At 3 months, Asher loved his playmate and anything Elijah was doing. Elijah has been such wonderful entertainment for Asher, a huge helper to me and is really getting so big.

For Halloween, I asked the boys what they wanted to be and Noah replied  "Bampire". I imagine he came up with the idea from one of his popup Halloween books, but he was definitely the cutest little Dracula I've ever seen!

Just before Halloween, the boys school hosted a Trunk or Treat. It was moved inside for weather reasons, but the boys thoroughly enjoyed running from station to station and picking up goodies

My little Dracula enjoying his sucker (and many more after that)

Noah could not wear the Dracula teeth, but Elijah really enjoyed chasing me around the house wearing them. It was pretty funny the way his upper lip curled around the teeth. Not so scary...

As a special treat, we decided to take the boys to Halloween at Avalon. It was a great time running from place to place collecting treats and stamps! It was beautiful weather and a great memory

One of Asher's many charming expressions. He is such a joyful child, full of curiosity and always watching the big boys. I have no doubts he will be keeping up with them in no time. But for now, I'm loving the little phase

Asher was baptized in November at St. Aiden's Episcopal Church. It was a beautiful ceremony and we were so thankful Fr. Rob Wood was able to help arrange this event. 

Anyone with boys can probably attest to this, but these guys love each other to pieces one minute, then are one the floor wrestling and punching the next. I do love capturing the moments when you see the brotherly love and sweetness shining through them. I hope they're always this close.

This photo really beams with love between these two boys. Elijah couldn't possibly love Asher anymore and likewise, Asher absolutely adores Elijah. It's these sweet moments that carry me through the not so sweet and tough moments that keep my days quite full

We managed to find a wonderful Pediatric Dentist nearby and the boys had their routine checkup. Though it's not their first visit to the dentist, it can be scary starting a new office. The staff at Trotter and Patel Dentistry were wonderful and the environment was very warming. The boys were right at ease and actually enjoyed the visit. 

Elijah looking cool with his sunglasses on during the exam. Love this kid!

Just your normal day in the Bowerman house-Noah wearing daddy's headlamp around the house and doing "man-work"

For Thanksgiving, Lala, Papa, Juju and Aunt Trink came to our house. It was amazing having them here and celebrating in our home. It was also quite a treat to have the space for everyone to stay here with us.

This tough, terrible-two, tremendously handsome Noah Bear. 

Around December (4 months old), Asher's hair started really coming in more. It was still quite fluffy, but we quickly started training it to be the next mohawk

The boys are somewhat obsessed with wearing Matt's football and lacrosse gear around the house. Furthermore, they have a helmet obsession, which is not limited to football helmets, but also bike helmets. This is just another day in the basement with Daddy

Loving Asher's sweet smiles and that CHUNK. By 4 months, he was pushing the upper teens in weight and was off the charts for length. He could be the biggest Bowerman boy in our family yet. 

One of the gentlemen Matt has the pleasure of working with at MBUSA is a Marine in the Reserves. After talking about our boys and their obsession (they have many) with things that fly, Bill offered to show them around his aircraft during some downtime at a training event. Matt took the boys on this adventure alone and I hear it was pretty amazing. 

Mr. Bill telling these guys all about the helicopter and answering their hundreds of questions

My little pilot. Funny enough, Noah has really started eating his vegetables lately and after each bit he will exclaim "eat carrots, fly airplanes!" We may have told him that carrots will help him fly airplanes, as will other veggies and he bought it. Parent win!

Asher really enjoyed tummy time under the Christmas tree. 

After I took this picture, I couldn't get over how grown Elijah looked in it. He had gotten so tall this winter and is losing his baby face. I'm so proud of him and I marvel at how the time has passed!

In the month of December, Matt and I were able to attend the MBUSA Christmas Party. It was held in a downtown Atlanta Art Gallery and was really a great time. It's not often we get to dress up together AND get a picture! 

Of course, Christmas season wouldn't be complete without our good friend Snack. He's our mischievous and judgmental Elf from the North Pole.

Grandma has started a Christmas tradition with the boys building a Gingerbread house. This Christmas, they made a Gingerbread Choo Choo Train. Elijah did a great job with it and only at about 1/3rd of the candy. 

Grandma and Grandpa came out for Christmas this year and during their awesome visit, the boys went to Bell Memorial Park to get some lessons from the master. In Milton, we have a new park that has a play area and several turf fields. It's open to residents and it's less than 5 minutes from our house. The boys love going over there and playing kickball with friends, throwing the football and practicing their lacrosse moves. 

Noah got a Stridor Balance Bike from Santa this year! Now he has his very own helmet and bike! 

Asher giving Grandma some good snuggles on Christmas morning

One of the awesome Christmas gifts was a Nikon camera. I've had asked for a nice camera to try to capture these fleeting childhood moments with higher resolution. It's been such a great gift and we even found a minute to capture a picture together (very rare)

The boys were given a real Texas Sheriff uniform for Christmas from Grandpa and Grandma. They even had real badges made with their names on them! Elijah looked pretty tough, but Grandpa scared away some bad guys too

A quick day-after-Christmas visit to the Georgia Aquarium

Practicing my camera skills during another turf field training event with Grandpa 

Noah certainly loves sports. Being a nurse, I'm very hesitant about contact sports, but I believe sports are programmed in Noah's DNA. He loves anything about sports, any sport, any ball and seems to have some natural talent

Elijah asked me to get my camera out and take some pictures of these two together. It's so sweet how Elijah enjoys laying with Asher and loving on him. 

My sweet little mess 

January 1st, my parents came for a Christmas visit. It was a great second Christmas with a ton a great gifts. The boys loved getting up and opening gifts again!

We ventured downtown Atlanta to the Children's Museum. It's an interactive museum with all types of learning activities for children. It was such a neat adventure and enjoyed by all

These boys crack me up with their silly outfits and funny faces

Noah trying his hardest to not catch the belly bug Elijah had this day

In January, we borrowed a foster dog named Seymour (renamed Zeus during his visit). It was a trial period for our family, since Matt has wanted a dog for sometime and I've never had the pleasure (or responsibility) of owning a dog. It proved to be too much for our family at this point in time, but Zeus was a really sweetheart, who will make a family whole for sure. Hopefully he finds his forever home soon, but until then he has a wonderful home with the Psaiki family in Buckhead.

We did get snow this winter in Milton. Just one snow, but the boys had a chance to drink their hot cocoa and throw some snow with daddy

Sweet brother love

Zeus loved playing with his ball in the man-cave with the boys

Noah is a Rody horse riding cowboy

Note the helmet, cowboy boots and bow, being used as a bat

Just another day at the office for me when these superhero/cowboy ninja boys appear. 

My sweet Asher and his huge smile!

We had the opportunity to go to the Atlanta Zoo with our friends. The kids loved it and they stuck together so well. It was really a great time for all!

Noah has been prating with his bike so much, he's almost ready for a big boy bike. I love watching him ride and balance so well. 

Mommy pile-on

Grandma and Grandpa brought the boys eye-black over Christmas and they have loved wearing it around during tackle time. 

Asher is eating everything in sight. To date, I have not found a single food that he will not eat at a rapid pace. I hope his love of different foods only continues

We had the pleasure (and laugh) of attending an 80s party a few months ago. It was such a great time fostering our inner 80's selves. 

Nothing cuter than a sleeping baby, unless it's Asher with his huge chunky cheeks and a mohawk!

Elijah was invited to a birthday party for his school friends, Harper and Ella. They had the party at the Art Barn, a real working barn that has a plethora of activities for children as well as a farm themed craft. Elijah has a blast and they even had the opportunity to hold a newborn baby chick. 

Although age 2 has brought many battles for Noah and myself, he definitely won this battle. I rather enjoyed walking around the grocery with my Ninja Turtle in the middle of March!

With spring upon us, we are fully stocked with Flav-or-Ice popsicles. We're ready for the heat!

Love this crazy kid with the upside-down glasses and man-work boots.

During a long weekend, we had the opportunity to go to INK (Interactive Neighborhood for Kids) in Gainesville, GA. They have a real airplane, firetruck and much more. The boys had such a great time!

Ever since I got my new Nikon camera, the boys have loved making silly faces at me and saying, "Mommy! Take a picture of THIS!" I try to oblige often. 

Love this silly Noah face-a definite favorite of his right now

Asher is getting so big and looking so grown in his little workout clothes. 

The boys in their superhero shirts making super-silly faces for Daddy as he departs for a week in Germany with Mercedes-Benz

Noah insisted I take a picture of his silly self and send it to Daddy while he was in Germany. 

While Daddy was away, we had a playdate with Elijah's friend, Caitlyn and Addison. They are such sweet friends and have so much fun with one another!

Uncle Juju also came for a brief visit. The boys love playing Dinotrux and Tackle with Juju when he's here. 

Juju loves brining the boys gifts when he visits. This time, he brought a REAL pilot hat and an awesome popup book about wild beasts!

When Daddy returned from Germany, it was time to decorate Easter eggs. We had a fun, but challenging time. 

Lala and Pap visited over Easter as well. Lala baked an Angel Food cake with the boys and they got to decorate it all by themselves. They did a great job and had a lot of fun doing so

We were pleased to host a dear mentor and friend of Matt's, Kendall Parks and his beautiful wife Miss Debbie. They were passing through on the way to her daughter's house. We even got to meet their sweet dogs, Louie and Cricket. 

Suns up, thumbs up. This kiddo loves his sunglasses and hat!

My sweet happy baby. 

During spring break, we tried to do fun activities each day. One day, we focused on science and made an Ocean in a Bottle. The boys loved seeing how the blue water and oil remained separate, and how the blue water rolled under the surface. 

The boys also played warriors with their "arrow-shooters" and shields made from our Architetrix sticks and tinfoil

At 7.5 months, Asher is already wearing 18month clothing. This includes the ONE year old shirt from Noah's first birthday!

This spring, we've found several caterpillars. At first, the boys were afraid, but now they love holding them, talking to them and they even names one Slappy (HAHAHA)

Elijah insists, when we return from Texas, we're going to keep one as a pet!