I thought I’d take a minute as a bit of introduction to the Lane family. A little who’s who.

And the best place to start is with my little family…

Our little Lane family.

Nathan and I have been married for five years! We met while working at a public accounting firm, but Nathan has since moved on to a sales role at his current company. Nathan is a K-State grad, and grew up most of his childhood in Kansas City. Nathan is one of the smartest people I know. He’s confident, has an immense passion for teaching and mentoring people, including little Harrison, and is a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to something he finds interesting. We often times reap the rewards of that pursuit for perfection when it comes to grilling and smoking. 🙂

During the time of this quarantine, we’ve spent so much time together, and it’s made me love him even more. I can count on him through anything, and I immensely thankful to be married to this guy.

And then, of course, there’s Harrison Thomas. My main little man, and generally the source of 75% of the content on this blog. 🙂 Harrison was born April 13, 2018, and just turned TWO years old! He has endless energy. I swear, it’s more energy than a normal toddler, even a boy – but I have nothing to compare it to right now. He’s into all things sports related right now – that includes golf, soccer, and basketball. He has a new found love for Mickey Mouse, after his Mom & Dad finally shelled out for Disney+ to get us through quarantine. And he’s got the sweetest, kindest eyes, that turn into little half moons when he smiles big. 🙂

And then there’s the princess of the house. Sawyer Francis Lane. Also known as “Soy Soy.” Our first [fur] baby is five years old. And being a first child, with absolutely no tiny humans to compete with her first three years of life, she FULLY embraced the princess life. She’s my constant shadow in the house. Often times laying outside of bathroom door, if I’m taking a shower, sleeping next to my desk, if I’m doing work, or sitting at my feet, if I’m eating or cooking, hoping to be thrown a bit of what’s being cooked.

And then lastly in our little family is this new little guy. I’m 26 weeks pregnant now, and due at the end of July with little baby boy #2!

After our immediate family, Nathan and I are so very blessed to have amazing parents…

This is our Papa and Mimi, as they’re known to Harrison. Papa and Mimi are my mom and dad, Cheryl & Tom. They’ve been married for 45 years now. At least I think I’m close to the right number… (Whenever I used to ask my mom how old she was when she got married, her response was ALWAYS, “Too young.” Hahaha.)

My Dad retired at the end of December from his investment management company. He still find ways to pass the time. Mostly with grandkids, lots of reading and golf, volunteering at the church, and taking an avid interest in smoking meats.

And my mom for most of my childhood stayed at home with my sister and me, but once we got into high school and college, started her own business with a friend working to match high school seniors with a good college that fit the student. She retired some years back, and spends most of her time now playing with grandkids, leading Bible study at the church, and gardening.

I feel particularly blessed because they are really good friends with…

Harrison’s Gigi and Pops. aka Nathan’s mom and dad, Kim & Scott. Like my Mom & Dad, Nathan’s parents are high school sweethearts and have been together and married a looooong time at almost 35 years. Scott works for a telecommunications company, and Kim has primarily been a stay-at-home mom for many years raising four kids! They are some of the kindest, most compassionate, caring people I know. I’ve said it so many times before, but I hit the jackpot with my in-laws. We are so thankful that both my parents and Nathan’s parents live in Kansas City.

Which brings me to…

My sister’s family! Kendra, Spencer, and our cousin Evie. They also live in KC, about thirty minutes from us. Kendra is my younger and much more creative and laid back younger sister. While we had a typical sibling relationship growing up that consisted of her pushing my buttons to see what kind of reaction she could get, it wasn’t until I went to college that we became really good friends and our relationship matured. She is my best friend, and the person I call when I’m at my wit’s end. She brought two very important people into our lives with Spencer and Evie. Spencer and Kendra met in college, and little Evie is a year older than Harrison, which means that she turned 3 in January. We love this little family, and most weekends will try to do something with our cousin Evie.

And then there’s Nathan’s siblings…

Nathan is the oldest of this group. Then there’s Matthew, Ashton, and Michael. All of them live in KC right now. Matthew graduated from K-State and now is a sales rep for a local business. Ashton is finishing up her masters this spring in counseling, and Michael is going to KU in the fall to continue his college career. Harrison’s the lone little one on this side of the family, which means he gets LOADS of attention from his aunt and uncles.

Nathan and I are also super fortunate to have some of our grandparents still. All four of Ntahan’s grandparents are still alive. One set lives in Colorado and the other used to live in KC, but moved back to their hometown in Iowa this past fall. And I still have one grandfather who lives in South Dakota! This is the man who is responsible for teaching me how to fish, catch chipmunks, camp, and take care of nature, and that laughter is the key to keeping you young at heart.