Feeling like Fall

It's finally starting to feel like fall and I'm excited for this cooler weather we've been having. Even though the cooler temps means the end of most of our outdoor fun for the year, it signals the start of the next fun season. But before I get wrapped up in all things thankful and magical, let's reminisce on our Fall so far. 

We'll back alllll the way up to September. Even though September still felt largely like summer, we enjoyed a few fall activities. We started the month with a family favorite- s'mores! Katie really just likes the chocolate and Brady really just likes the marshmallows, but the time spent together is definitely a favorite of ours. 

Many Friday nights were spent in the stands at Chizevsky Field cheering on our Eagles. 

We also spent a sweltering day at the pumpkin patch with our cousins. I think the heat kept the crowds away as we mostly had to patch to ourselves. The kids sure weren't complaining!

And October didn't disappoint with all the feelings of fall. The kids enjoyed a few combine rides with my dad that month. We might have had to reschedule them a few times, but I'm glad our schedules matched up to get them in. I hope it's a memory that my kids will always remember.

We also spent a lovely day at the zoo! It was Allie's first long car ride and big trip and she was a champ the entire time. The kids enjoyed the snakes, monkeys, and of course the penguins. We also tested out the butterfly area this year, and I'm not sure we will be allowed back ha! My kids are flower pickers and they might have got scolded by workers in there several times, no matter how many times I told them they couldn't pick the flowers. But no butterflies were harmed, so I call it a win.

We spent a warm afternoon at the park.

And celebrated with Eric after he shot a nice buck!

We were TP'd for the first time, and Brayden and Katie performed their first illegal activity by returning the favor to the cousins that got them! 

There's a funny story about this night that I don't want to forget. I stayed home with Ashley (who missed out on the fun because of a lie. However, when I was telling her how much fun Brayden and Katie were having, she responded that it's ok, because she had never been before so she doesn't know how much fun it is. Why is she too logical for her own good ha!)- but anyways, I stayed home with Ashley and Allison, and all of a sudden I'm getting a call from Nichole asking where we are hiding. I guess that Nichole and Connor came home while Eric and the kids were there. They saw Eric's van, but couldn't find him or the kids. Eric said that Brayden and Katie did such a good job hiding- they knew they had to be very quiet and hardly made a sound. If you can't tell by Brayden's face in this blurry picture, he had an absolute blast. And I'm pretty positive Katie had a great time as well. 

 

The next day we decided it was time to carve our pumpkins, well for Eric to carve the kids' pumpkins while I took pictures. Shout out to him for always being the designated pumpkin carver. 

Brayden chose a scary face.

Ashley wanted a face that looked like Allison's shirt.

Katie wanted a unicorn, but she settled for a silly face.

Allison didn't partake this year, but she filled in pretty good for a jack-o-lantern on her own. 

And then we can't forget Halloween!! We visited grandparents and great grandparents, and ended up with more candy than we could ever eat. I had kinda hoped we would be able to tie their costumes into a theme, but when they started telling me what they were wanting to be, I knew that that would be impossible. 

Brayden was a robot.

Ashley was a mermaid.

Katie was a puppy.

And Allison was the cutest little ghost I've ever seen. 

And to round out this ultimate mash-up of a post, Katie's first haircut! Her hair was definitely not long by any means, but it was getting a little mullet-y in the back, and some of her bangs were starting to get pretty long. She did an excellent job sitting for Pam and is already talking about getting her hair cut again. 

Our fall has been off to the best start, and I know that it will only keep getting better. Here's to looking towards the next few weeks with our crazy crew!

September Catch-Up

September. It seems so far away already, but we are just now a full week into October, so I'm still safe to post a recap post of the month, right?

When the month started, our calendar was basically empty. I honestly thought that it might be a laid back, easy month. But by the 2nd or 3rd day of the month, I had decided the laid back life definitely isn't for us. One day I hope Eric and I can sit back and watch the sun set every evening drinking a glass of wine from our back patio, but we are so far from that being our reality, and I am totally ok with that.

I've found that I love having a plan (and honestly I already knew that. I'm not much of the spontaneous type). Seeing the calendar full is a little overwhelming at first, but as the month gets rolling, I realize how much I love the busyness that currently engulfs our lives. 

Labor Day weekend is a big one for Palestine (the town I work in). I made plans with some of our friends who live there to go to the rodeo that Sunday evening with them. 

Eric and I had been to the rodeo years and years ago (pre-kids with lots of drinks in a certain tent behind the grandstands), so I didn't really know what all actually happened at a rodeo. But I thought the kids would be the perfect age to come see all the animals. 

And I was right! Brayden and Ashley really loved the rodeo. Brayden's favorite part was probably the popcorn (which is honestly his favorite part of any activity lately), and Ashley really loved the rodeo clown. She was always asking where he was and if he was ok when he wasn't out in the arena. Katie was interested in the activities very briefly, but much more enjoyed walking back and forth behind the grandstands. I'm calling it a win and looking forward to bringing them back next year for even more fun! 

The next weekend was Fall Festival, and I knew we would be all about the parade. Brayden left no candy behind, Ashley loved seeing all the different groups walking by, and Katie loved when a band played as they walked by us. We are still eating parade candy almost a month later.

That night I decided we should test out the new camper in the back yard! We enjoyed smore's by the fire and riding our bikes till it was too dark to see. I think Brayden and Ashley really loved having one whole side to themselves. Katie slept in her pack and play, but Eric ended up going inside with her about half way through the night. We didn't turn the heat on that night and I think it just got a little cold for her, no matter how much we thought we layered her up. Oh well, it was a fun night and the kids loved being able to sleep in the camper!

The next Friday night was a home football game. We were a HOT MESS. Water bottles were rolling under the seats in front of us, popcorn was eaten off the floor (like a lot of popcorn- I don't even think it was all ours), and Katie refused to sit still and we ended up in the second or third row of the grandstands so she had more room to walk. Like I said, a hot mess. But I chalk these up to learning experiences and exposing the kids to all things fun that they can do one day. 

The 17th was a girls day with my besties. We missed Kendra, but I'm so thankful that I was able to get together with Ashley and Kaci for brunch, piercings (not me!), and wine. It's time to get another date in the books!

The 22nd was another home football game where my children redeemed themselves from our previous disaster. All the popcorn for the win!

  

It was probably that Friday night that I had talked to Eric about taking the kids to the zoo that weekend. I had talked all summer about wanting to go with them this year still, but we never made it happen. I basically didn't take no for an answer this time, and that Sunday morning we loaded up the van for a fun day at the zoo!

On the way there, we talked about what animals we might see there, and Ashley decided that we should go see the snakes first. Whose child is this!? Penguins and cheetahs were also high on the list for them. But snakes were first, and Ashley really wanted to get a picture with all of them. 

We loved the monkeys, dinosaurs, hippo, and bears, and the kids asked when we would get to see the penguins and cheetahs the entire time we were there. 

Brady was our keeper of the map. He is always so fascinated with maps and loves to have them open and look at where we are going. He told us his favorite animals were the penguins and the dinosaurs (though he refused to take a picture by one of them). I honestly think the dinosaurs scared him just a little bit since they moved and you can get really close to them. He talked all about seeing penguins and the cheetahs (we didn't tell him that we never actually saw the cheetahs, they weren't out when we went past their enclosure), but those didn't make his top animals list.

Ashley was definitely all about the experience and wanted pictures with everything. She told us her favorite was the dinosaurs, but she also asked the entire time we were at the zoo for the penguins and the cheetahs. 

Katie enjoyed seeing all the different animals. She would point at different ones she could see, and really liked the snakes and the small monkey enclosures since they were animals that were easier to see. But her favorite was most definitely the penguins! She clapped and pointed the entire time we were in there.

We ended our month with some time in the combine with my dad. Katie was less than enthused, and spent the majority of the ride with her head on my shoulder. Brayden and Ashley loved every minute of it. They thought it was so cool how the corn went into the head and then came out the back as corn, and loved it even more when dad would dump the corn into the wagons once he was full. 

After the second dump, my allergies were in full swing, so I happily exited the combine to the comfort of my Kleenex box. Katie and Brayden opted to come out with me, but Ashley wanted to stay in and ride longer with grandpa. When I finally made her get out so we could run a few errands in Effingham, she was all smiles about her time in the combine with grandpa. Can't beat those memories!

And of course sprinkled throughout the month were random moments of cuteness from these three. 

They sure keep me on my toes. And while it may get the best of me every now and then, I prayed so hard for so long for days just like these. I'm trying to remember to soak it all in, because I know that one day I'll be looking at these pictures and then at my kids and wondering when the heck they got so big. It's a busy season that we are living in, but I'm here for the ride.