Category: Harrison

Lanes Lately {March 2022}

Posted on by Lauren Lane

Sharing what one might call a ”photo dump” on the gram…but all in one blog post. Things I didn’t post, forgot to post, and little pieces of life I want to hold on to forever.

Life looks a hectic running around after this little one…

Jonathan is in full blown destructor mode. His favorite toys are objects around the house and our master bathtub’s water. He has his usual go-to kitchen drawers. I find this particularly fascinating, because they are not the same kitchen drawers that Harrison used to like. Harrison was more of a measuring cup drawer fan. Jonathan enjoys dad’s grill tools and loaf and muffin tins drawers.

Read more

Friday Favorites {03.04.22}

Posted on by Lauren Lane

Work was busier this week than it’s been the last few, but getting outside for a walk a couple times this week in the beautiful weather really made it all seem very bearable! Nathan and I finished the Yellowstone prequel mini-series, 1883, this week. It was really good! And we’re already looking forward to the next mini-series they are doing about the Duttons. The boys had a great week, too. Playing outside after daycare with neighbors made everyone happier, and more eager to welcome in spring. I’ve gathered up some of my favorites from this week. I hope you all have a great weekend!

Let me tell you a story about our oldest. Nathan got home late from work one evening last week, and while he was having some dinner, I entertained the boys playing hide and seek. Harrison tends to hide in the same places over and over again, so I didn’t pay much attention as he ran off in the direction of our bedroom to hide as I started to count.

And then Baby J and I started “seeking”…all the normal spots. Still seeking, still playing along. At some point, Nathan finished his dinner, and says, “you can’t find Harrison?”

After ten minutes, no. I still couldn’t find Harrison anywhere. Nathan couldn’t find Harrison anywhere. Finally, out of desperation and it being way past bath time, I said, “Harrison. I can’t find you. Come out and I’ll give you a Reese’s.”

And a little voice from our bedroom yelled, “I can’t get out! I’m stuck! But I still want a Reese’s!” We ran in there and found him in the bottom drawer of my dresser, smiling so pleased with himself.

“That was a good hiding place, right?”

Read more

Our Denver Trip! (And Harrison’s First Time Skiing)

Posted on by Lauren Lane

A couple of weeks ago, Nathan and Harrison headed out to drive across the state of Kansas to Colorado for their very first ski trip. I packed them a lunch to eat in the car, and they were off for the mountains! Harrison was a level 12 out of 10 excited for this trip. All of the good one-on-one time with his Dad and beautiful setting was a perfect father/son trip.

After a couple of days, Jonathan and I packed up and flew out to Denver to meet the boys back in the city and spend a couple of days with Nathan’s parents, the boys’ Gigi and Pops.

The boys rented a small studio apartment in the village at Breckenridge. Harrison was SO EXCITED to get fitted his first day of ski school.

Read more

7 Quick Harrison Takes (v. X)

Posted on by Lauren Lane

You guys know I like to jot down little things about my boys that are making me laugh about their personalities lately, or sweet things that they’re doing. It’s my way of capturing their budding little personalities, and I love going back to read some of the old ones. It makes me remember some of the sweet things that have now passed us by and they’ve grown out of over the years.

After two full weeks at home with the boys, I had plenty of material for some Harrison quick takes.

-1- It’s apparently totally appropriate to Christmas carol in January. Harrison’s go to: Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells Jingle all the way. Old McDonald is to ride in a one up witch’s sleigh, HEY! (Sounds like Santa must love Halloween.)

-2- He tells me all the time how he wants to be a Mommy when he grows up.

-3- Declares the soccer ball ‘out of balance’ so he can throw it in. And every goal I score as “not counting” because I didn’t follow “the rules.” He also likes to shout “I WINNED!”

-4- His sense of direction has now exceeded my own. I have an awful sense of direction, but I have lived in almost the same place for the past 30+ years, and I still have to google how to get to the highway. Harrison also likes to ask me, “Are you sure you’re going the right way?” No, kid. No I’m not. I’ve been unsure my whole life that I was going the right way.

-5- He came home from school one day and informed me that we do not say “pee and poop. But we can say tooted.” I asked him who told him that – his answer, “his friends.” Good call, guys.

-6- Kids don’t feel cold. I know that. I was not prepared for the part of being a ‘boy mom’ that I have a 3 year old running around the house in shorts and t-shirt when it’s 10* out, and then insisting to me that he does not need a coat to go outside, and he will NOT BE COLD.

-7- He’s the sweetest big brother (sometimes). Whenever Baby J starts crying, he dashes upstairs to find his lovey and bring it to him. Harrison’s lovey was always the thing that he wanted when he was crying.

What’s Up Wednesday {01.26.22}

Posted on by Lauren Lane

These prompts each month give me the most joy to go back and read. It’s a little peek into everything we’re doing in life right now. A monthly re-cap! And I just have so much fun writing them and reading them.

As always, I’m linking up with Shay and Sheaffer to share with you what’s going on in our life!

1: WHAT WE’RE EATING THIS WEEK: Sunday football means PIZZA! Other than that, we’re keeping it easy this week with slow-cooker carne asada tacos. (Seriously, they are sooo good!). Going to try a creamy broccoli cheddar soup recipe as well this week!

2: WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT:

About a year ago, Jonathan got his helmet to correct a flat spot on the back of his head. The condition is called plagiocephaly, and I remember thinking then, while I felt devastated at the time and really down, that I would look back at those pictures a year from now and realize how fast it seemed, and how quickly they change.

Read more

Our Christmas 2021: A Photo Diary

Posted on by Lauren Lane

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you all had a joyful and restful holiday season. I always find the time between Christmas and New Year to truly be a time of relaxation with so many people off work, and finally feeling like I can truly unplug from work email and tasks.

We had a really wonderful Christmas. Harrison’s excitement this year for all things Santa and Christmas Day was palpable and contagious. We had so much fun opening gifts from Santa on Christmas morning, enjoying a slow brunch with just our family and opening presents. It was so nice out on Christmas, that we actually got to play outside a bit. Then we had my parents over for Christmas dinner later that evening.

I wanted to share some of the photos from the day all in one place.

Read more

Friday Favorites {12.17.21}

Posted on by Lauren Lane

I feel myself getting caught up this time of year in trying to have the perfect Christmas. Mostly ideas of peaceful cookie decorating, picturesque holiday movie watching on the couch with the whole family and a fire going, and doing all of the festive things like visiting Santa, looking at lights. And then there are little things too, for me, like wrapping each present perfectly. And I can find myself, if I don’t catch it early enough, with these high expectations of what this time looks like for our little family.

The holidays, and pretty much all special events, are better when I lower my expectations. When it doesn’t go perfectly, I don’t want my kids remembering a mom that was flustered and upset. I want them to remember these special celebrations as moments of joy strung together.

So as we head into this holiday week, I pray for you, friend, a week where we let go of the reigns a little bit. We lower the expectations of our children’s reactions and actions, the perfect picturesque holiday scenes we have in our minds, and remember that the best thing we can give our kids is a happy, joyful mom in the chaos and mess of it all. (And then let’s just all plan to have a virtual glass of wine together at the end of the night. ☺️)

Happy Friday, friends. And Merry Christmas week! ~Lauren

We went and visited Santa a couple weeks ago. I wasn’t sure how this would go, honestly. I was prepared for tears. Harrison hadn’t visited Santa since he was 1, and obviously has no memory of it.

Read more

Halloween 2021

Posted on by Lauren Lane

Well, sometimes even though you have two days off work, you don’t get around to sitting down and writing instead of checking things off to-do lists. So, I’m sorry I disappeared last week! We’re still enjoying Halloween and fall over here, but I love that so many friends are starting to deck the halls!

This is my own little scrapbook of my boys’ life, so we’re going to stick with Halloween for a minute and I wanted to share some pictures from the holiday. We had so much fun trick-or-treating!

Friday afternoon, the boys had their Halloween parties at daycare.

Read more

7 Quick Harrison Takes (v. IX)

Posted on by Lauren Lane

It’s that time again for seven quick Harrison takes. Harrison’s half birthday is in October, and I thought that would be a good time to do another quick round up of the things that Harrison is into, saying, and doing that makes me laugh or brings a smile to my face.

-1- While we were on our Florida vacation, one of our rental cars was a Mustang convertible. Harrison LOOOOOVED it. And asked the entire trip to ride in the ‘mustache’ car.

-2- Any red team playing football is identified by Harrison as the “Chiefs” playing. Any blue team playing soccer is “Chelsea.” And any green team is “the Broncos.” Why he’s insistent that the Broncos are green, we’re not sure. But he is insistent that they are Green.

-3- His current favorite foods: waffles and fig newtons. Seriously, fig newtons. Whaaaaat.

-4- He’s extremely enthusiastic to help Mommy rip out plants that he declares are “done for the season.” So enthusiastic.

-5- Equally so, he tells me often that my flowers are “beautiful.” Talk about getting at my mama’s heart.

-6- He’s referred to sunscreen as “skun-screen” for ages. And that’s what we call it now.

-7- His must-have’s for bed: Lovie, Monkey, and 3 cars (which he negotiates every evening from 2 cars, up to 3 cars).

My sweet little boy is headstrong, tough, and absolutely fearless. FEARLESS. I am in for it, folks. Harrison Thomas is going to test just to see how strong my heart is for all of the things he jumps at with absolute abandon.

At night, though, when I tuck him in right now, just before I close the door, he says, “Mom! I have to tell you something!” “What , buddy?” “Mommy. I. I. I love you so much.” I couldn’t have ever imagined loving another human being so much before my little boys.