Super Logan! Halloween & Zoo Boo

Super Logan was the costume of choice this year for my sweet boy! He does not like to wear anything on his head, so I wanted a costume that did not require it.  He looked adorable and had a great time "getting some more candy" (as he said over and over) at the neighbors' houses.

Here are some pictures of Logan's last two Halloween costumes.  Time flies!

Halloween 2011: 15 months old

Such a cute little pumpkin!

Halloween 2010: 3 months old

Look at those chunky legs on that spider!

Last weekend, we went to Zoo Boo at the Memphis Zoo! We had a great time.  John, Debbie (PawPaw & Mimi), Greg, Megan & Kaylie joined us.

Logan & Kaylie love each other so much. They had a great time riding in the wagon together!

Kaylie was happy to pose for pictures! I guess that is a difference in boys and girls. Such a pretty girl!

Meanwhile, this energetic boy was on the run.

Brian & me with a rare picture alone!

Mimi & PawPaw

Greg, Megan, & Kaylie

The Carousel was a hit!

Pumpkin Patch & Hayride

This weekend we took a late evening trip to a local pumpkin patch and had a great time. I did not get a lot of pictures because it was almost dark, and as usual Logan was much more interested in playing and running than he was posing for pictures.  Here are some that we did manage to get:

Logan liked watching the tractors that pulled the hayride and the train as much as anything else.  One of his current favorite books is about tractors, so I think that had something to do with it.  We had a great time, and this was one of the highlights of an awesome weekend!  Happy Fall!

Lately...

We have been busy!  I have neglected the blog, but I feel like I have an excuse.  On top of the everyday busyness of two working parents and an energetic two year old, we have moved twice in the past two months.  I see a "two" theme going on here.  Anyway, we are getting settled into our new house, and we plan on staying here for a very long time. 

Here is the new place:

It is located in Germantown, and we love it so far! We have been here a whopping two weeks, so we still have a few boxes to unpack.  I also have not hung any pictures, which is so unlike me. We just had everything painted, and I am being cautious to avoid putting unwanted nail holes in the wall.

Logan ready for school at the start of the fall semester.  Such a big boy!

Logan is as sweet and as busy as ever!  Two is such a fun age. I always heard about the "terrible two's," but I will say so far two has been awesome.  Logan certainly has his fair share of toddler tantrums, but it is so much fun watching him discover the world and expand his vocabulary at warp speed.

One thing we have learned about Logan is that he notices everything, and I do mean everything.  I think he gets it from his Aunt Holly!  For example, I bought a new pair of shoes that were similar to a pair Holly had.  They were black but had a different color buckle than Holly's.  When I picked Logan up from school wearing them, he said, "Are you wearing Holly's shoes?"  I called Holly, and we were shocked. Holly said she has probably only worn those shoes around Logan a couple of times.  He also noticed when I got a new toothbrush, a new shirt, and when I started wearing my boots from last year he thought they were "new" because he does not remeber seeing them.  He always notices other people's shoes, and even told me that his friend Jack Wilson had on new Toms. His Papa Coburn has always been a big shoe fanatic, and I think Logan may have gotten that trait.

Logan also have developed a love for all things transportation, including trucks, buses, trains, garbage trucks, and motorcycles.  We have a slightly longer commute in the morning now, and we spend the entire car ride looking for them.  He loves watching the garbage men put the garbage in the truck, and he also likes to spot garbage cans on the side of the road. 

Logan also loves his cousin, Kaylie (Kay-Kay) and Graham (baby Graham).  He and Kaylie are the same age and are so cute playing together.  Logan gets so excited when he sees her!  Graham is 3 months old today so is not ready to play with Logan yet, but he is so sweet around him.  We watched him last weekend while Holly & Jason went for a long run, and Logan was patting him on the head and saying, "It's OK buddy, they will be riiiight back."  Apparently that Bruceton accent from his Mama comes out every now and then.

Logan still has a love for cleaning- especially using his vacuum cleaner!  We certainly hope this passion lasts for a while. 

It is amazing to hear what new thing he says everyday.  He speech is getting more complex and clearer all the time.  This morning he saw a car like Brian's and said, "That car is similiar to Daddy's."  He gives lots of hugs and kisses, and he hardly ever stops running and jumping.  He loves playing rough with his Daddy and being thrown in the air or on the bed. Sometimes he will say, "I want to be LOUD" and he is definitely loud!

Needless to say, we are crazy about our sweet Logan and love watching him grow up!

Here are some pictures from the past few months that show what we have been up to:

Logan enjoying one of the last summer days at the sprinkler park.

Logan & Kaylie having a big time! 

Can you tell he loved it?

Logan's fearlessness helps Kaylie feel more brave!

Heading to Greg (Brian's brother) & Megan's rehearsal dinner in Murfreesboro

Now headed to the wedding in Murfreesboro. It was a beautiful wedding!

Brian & his mom at the rehearsal dinner

Me with the best mother-in-law ever!

The best in-laws ever at the wedding

Brian & Greg before the wedding

Greg & Megan at the rehearsal

My sweet boy

He loves the long halls in the new house. Lots of running happens here!

Celebrating Brian's birthday at Benihana

Heading to dinner to celebrate Brian's 32nd!

A Tribute to Papa

On Tuesday, August 28, 2012, my Papa went to heaven.  I was extremely fortunate to grow up about 1/2 mile from my grandparents (my mom's parents), and Holly and I were so close to them our entire lives.  Even when I left for college, I continued to talk with Grandmother & Papa about 3 times a week and see them very regularly.  Grandmother and Papa made and continue to make a huge impact on my life.

I have so many memories, including many trips to major league baseball games and Six Flags/amusement parks with G & P. Grandmother, Papa, Holly & I went to St. Louis and Atlanta multiple times, Houson, Chicago, Cincinnati, and Denver.  We also took a three week trip out West when I was in middle school where we saw the Grand Canyon, Redwood Forrest, Yellowstone National Park, Jackson Hole, WI, and spent several days in Las Vegas seeing shows.  We even saw Siegfried and Roy!  We would spend almost every Friday night with them in elementary school where we would often stay at the lake and have bon fires and go on nature walks.  Holly and I are the only grandchildren, and we are so lucky to have had that time with Papa. 

Visiting Papa & Grandmother in Florida in February 2011.  They went to Florida every winter for 20 years for several months.  Papa would fish, and Grandmother played cards, line danced, and many other activities.  They went for the last time in the winter of 2012 where they sold their place there.

Easter 2011 in Bruceton. G & P with Mama, Holly, Jason, Brian, Logan and me.

Summer 2010. Celebrating four generations with a newborn Logan.

G & P at my college graduation from the U of M in 2004. Papa was so proud. 



When I told G & P that I was expecting a baby (Logan!), Papa cried tears of joy all day.  It was early in the pregnancy, and I asked him not to share with anyone yet.  However, he had to call his friend/fishing buddy from Florida (who lives in East TN during the non-winter months!) and tell him how proud he was to have a great grandchild on the way.  He loved Logan so much, and he and Grandmother told everyone they saw about  him.  He and Grandmother spent many hours talking about Logan and what he might be doing at any given time.  Papa would say he was always eating, sleeping, or running!

The entire family was together to celebrate Grandmother's 80th birthday the weekend before Papa passed away. We had a great time at the Paris Winery, and Papa was feeling pretty well. The day before he passed away, he drove himself to the local farmer's market and out in the country to look at his land. Logan actually talked to Papa on the phone that night and told him all about getting wet at the sprinkler park.  I got to talk to him the morning he passed away, and he sounded like he felt as well as he had in a while. The last thing he said to me was in reference to his conversation with Logan the previous night, and he said "Let me tell you something. They don't stay that way long."

Papa and Grandmother were married for 59 years, and I know she misses him terribly.  I pray that God continues to comfort her during this difficult time.

I am so thankful to have had Papa's influence in my life, and I will forever cherish my memories with him.  Logan still asks about Papa and says he is with Jesus in heaven, and it warms my heart.  Logan will grow up knowing all about his Papa as his memory will live on in me and those who loved him.