Weekend Wrap-Up

How did that week fly by? My apologies for missing Thankful Thursday.  Lots to be thankful for, not lots of time to write about it lately. 

Here's a quick run down of our weekend.

Friday afternoon Kent was golfing and after school, Kase asked me if we could go to the pool.  It was pretty hot out so we got the water table  and sprinkler out for what will most likely be the last time for the season. Kids had a blast.  Later, when Kent was home, we all walked to the park to enjoy the beautiful evening.

Saturday morning we did a few errands then Kael had a soccer game.  Some neighbors came to watch him too- I just love how our little neighborhood community supports each other.

Saturday after the game we assumed that Kase would take his usual 12:00-3:00 nap so we headed to my parents' to watch the Hawks play.  Kase ended up only sleeping for a half hour so we played around my parents' house for awhile in the backyard before heading to the pumpkin patch near their house. It was so fun! Here, let me show you some pictures! ;)

Saturday evening we spent some time at a neighbors with a super fun quesadilla bar and our friend even made fried ice cream.  I know!

Here's how our Sunday morning started.  I heart my boys.

We found ourselves with some extra time before church and the kids have been wanting to "harvest" our apple.  Singular.  Apple.  We planted a Honeycrisp tree not too long after we moved into this house but last year it produced no apples.  This year, we got one!!! So we finally decided to pick it- the kids were so excited.

We sliced it up and Kael declared it the Best Apple He's Ever Eaten.  The rest of us agreed.

Sunday afternoon Kael had a football game against one of his best friends' team and we lost 12-0. Kael was less bummed than I anticipated, perhaps partly because we had plans to go out for ice cream after the game with Keith and Cindy.  :) We headed to Van Dee's in Johnston, which was totally worth the trip out of town.

The last stop of the weekend was at the Miracle League park with neighbors.  Perfect way to wrap up our weekend.

Looking forward to an extra free night in our schedule this week, but otherwise business as usual.  How's your week looking?

Weekend Wrap-Up

Fall weekends are the best, no?

It's looking a little more fall-ish around here.

Kase and I enjoyed Lemon Tree for lunch the other day.  Technically, I didn't intend for it to be lunch but he fell asleep on the way home, before I could get him a real lunch.  I'm pretty sure he didn't mind.

Friday night we ate dinner out (I try to avoid having to do meal prep/meal clean-up at almost all costs on a Friday evening) then Kent wanted to get a haircut.  So did all three kids.  Consider our school photo day haircuts done!

After haircuts we stopped by the Halloween store to look at costumes.  This was the highlight of everyone's night except for Kase.  He was scared of all the things hanging from the ceiling, and Kylee took great delight in trying on a terrifying mask, then running around the corner to surprise scare him.  Poor kid. #thirdchildproblems

Saturday morning we participated in the Ashland Ridge Fun Run.  It has been rained out/snowed out the past couple years so we were really excited to finally get to do it this year! The kids had a blast.  Kael took off like a shot and nearly sprinted the whole thing- finishing 4th overall.  Kylee and I ran together where she employed a fairly successful combo of sprinting/walking/sprinting/walking.  Kent carried Kase.  The.whole.way.  He finally did get down from Kent's arms to cross the finish line on his own- mostly because Kylee was holding out a cookie for him. :)

Kent played some flag football, then Kael had a soccer game, then we, along with Kent's parents, hit up The Happiest Place in Central Iowa, otherwise known as Center Grove Orchard.  It was a beautiful day, it wasn't too busy, and we all had a great time.  Seriously- go, if you haven't been.  Just go.  You'll get it. So much fun!

Patterson boys and their ice cream. 

Sunday we went to church, where we ran into the family I used to babysit.  We hadn't seen them forever and the kids had so much fun seeing each other.  After that, Kael had a football game where he even got the chance to be quarterback! I was so proud of him.  Later that afternoon he had soccer pictures, and we spent the rest of the evening out with friends.

Have a good week, guys!

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful the weather has been cool enough to change up our usual boring menu line-up of things like spaghetti and tacos to include soups and other cold weather foods.  I'm also thankful the weather hasn't turned so cold that we can't grill out.  I heart fall.

I'm thankful that Kase takes good naps.

I'm thankful for time.  I feel like I've had a lot more of it this week and I am really enjoying it.  As we're driving home from doing errands, Kase points to a park and says, "I wanna go there, Mom!" and I love being able to pull over to stop and play for awhile.  There is nothing like the feeling of not being rushed and being able to have plenty of time for my favorite people.

I'm thankful for good health.  Kylee's not 100% yet and Kael's legs still hurt, but we've had several tests run for both of them and things are coming back pretty normal.  My instincts tell me that Kylee's stuff is mostly nerves and that Kael's body could benefit more from a night on the couch rather than being on his feet playing sports or playing with friends from about 3:00-8:00.

I'm thankful for a fun weekend ahead.

Happy Thursday, all!

Weekend Wrap-Up

It was a busy one, guys.  Especially with Kent out of town. But he's home now, woohoo!!

Here's a quick(ish) re-cap.

We spent some time hangin' around at the park while Kael had practice.

The weather turned cool enough to bust out the footie pajamas.  

We tried out the new Chick-Fil-A.

We attended AJF night, also known as the Jag-Hawk bowl.  Kael had a blast running around with his friends.  I don't think he even noticed the lights were out for awhile! I was able to convince him to go home at halftime so we could have a sleepover with Kase and Kylee at my mom's house. 

We also had a visit from Kent's cousins Kelsey and Kate- wish I had gotten some pictures of you gals here! Kylee was in heaven making Rainbow Looms for them and while Kase was a little shy in the beginning, he totally warmed up.  Kael begged them to stay for his soccer game, but I promised I would post some pictures on here for them to see.  Kels, here you go! Kael had a great time being goalie and helped his team to a 8-5 victory!

We also had a visit from my BFF of nearly 18 years.  I died when we discovered we had been friends this long! Kylee was asking us about when we started being friends and we did a quick calculation to realize it has been a looooong time.  I don't see her nearly enough and it was great to be able to hang out with her this weekend!

Our beloved Hawks choked against the Cyclones this weekend, but we had bigger and better things to think about! After the game, we packed up and headed to my sister's house for a sleepover.  My mom, and also my other sister and her two kids were there too.  We ordered pizza, played outside, watched movies slumber-party style.  It was so fun.  I failed to get any pictures, though! 

Sunday morning I taught Kylee's Sunday school, then Kent surprised us by being home way earlier than we expected.  So happy he's home.  Sunday afternoon we went to Kael's game and cheered on the Orange Crush to another victory.  

I wrapped up my weekend with a walk with a good friend, then I took my littlest American Ninja to the park. 

Make it a great week, everyone!

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for our old neighbor who recently left for college.  She texted me the other night saying she saw this picture on her Instagram feed and wanted me to have it.  So thoughtful of her to let me know and I love how "small town" Ankeny can still feel sometimes! I'm also seriously thankful for the library's tailgate event Tuesday night.  Read more below!

This one is thankful he still gets to see his big brother and sister during the school day.

I'm thankful Kent, my dad and brother-in-law made it up to Canada! I'm hoping they catch lots of fish!

I'm thankful that Kylee is doing better.  You guys.  You GUYS! I can't even begin to share with you the outpouring of support we've had for our little girl.  She's been having a tough time back at school this year and the number of people who have gone out of their way to let me know they are thinking of her is just amazing.  While I anticipated my close friends texting me encouraging words, I was blown away when even the neighborhood dads on the block texted me.  Things like how special of a girl Kylee is and how they're sure it's just a rough patch, but in the meantime everyone is wanting to help out any way possible.  When I say she's having a tough time at school, I don't just mean she kind of doesn't want to go.  There have been tears and tummyaches, somber waves from the playground and absolutely no shine.  And if you know Kylee, you know she usually shines.  She's my always happy, always smiling, sparkle-in-her eye kind of gal and lately, she just hasn't been.  I'm so thankful for eyes and ears inside the school (family friends, teachers from previous years) who are quick to offer up a hug in the hallway just to get her through the day.  Friends, please do continue to keep her in your thoughts as she counts down the days until another No School day.  (October 13, locals. ;)

I'm thankful for my neighbor being so incredibly understanding and willing to find someone else to watch her baby so I can focus my attention on my own kids.

I'm thankful for daily help from my mom.  It takes a village, no?

I'm thankful that fall is around the corner.  The kids had fun helping me get some of our fall decorations out, which are my second fave, after Christmas ones, of course.

I'm thankful for an awesome night on Tuesday.  Despite heavy rain, the kids and I decided to head to the library for a family tailgate event for the Jag/Hawk bowl.  I knew there would be some cheerleaders and football players to meet, crafts to do and popcorn to eat so the kids were excited to go.  Well, the rain must have kept people away, which was too bad because it was such a neat event.  I couldn't have been more impressed with the high schoolers who interacted with my kids and made them feel like All Stars.

I assured Kase that in not too many years, he'll have a much bigger smile on his face when surrounded by a bunch of pretty cheerleaders. ;)

I didn't get as much of a chance to talk with the cheerleaders but these two football players could not have impressed me more.  They spent over an hour and a half hanging with Kael, playing catch with him, listening to him talk about his team, answering questions about high school and football, and how tall they were and what car they drove and what classes the liked and where they went to elementary school, and Kael was in HEAVEN. A nine year old boy's dream come true! When we left, they said to me, "You've got a really neat kid."  They promised to look for Kael on Friday night at the game and called out, "We'll be looking for you, number 18! Go Orange!" since Kael will be wearing his jersey for AJF night at the game.

While my heart is with the Jags, I have to say that the Hawk players and cheerleaders were wonderful too.  It was really interesting talking with high school kids and how they felt about the big high school split last year.

I'm thankful that I (finally) got my kids home from the library and tucked in (to the living room) for a sleepover with me while Kent was away.

I'm thankful for a good relationship with our builder.  After all the rain Tuesday  night I woke up and found a little water in the basement.  Nothing major, but with Kent out of town I just didn't want anything to happen.  Kent contacted our builder who, in less than an hour, stopped by to check it out for us.  Now, we've been in the house well over two years now and he has no obligation to come do that but he came and assured me that everything was ok and some water had just gotten in through the open air vent.  I so appreciated him coming to look at it and I was doubly thankful that nothing was wrong!

Have a great weekend, guys!

Weekend Wrap-Up

The weekend was a blur, you guys.  Fall craziness has officially set in!

Friday I made a decision that will ultimately help me put my family first. It was not an easy choice but I'm looking forward to being able to be a little more available to those who need me most.  It was a stressful decision so I was very much looking forward to going out for dinner with Kent's parents in celebration of his birthday! Keith and Cindy had taken the kids out to Bass Pro in the afternoon, then we all met at Thunderhead in town.  We had a great time, came back here for an awesome Oreo ice cream dessert, then we played at the park with friends.

Saturday morning Kent played flag football and Kael had football practice. Kylee had a friend's birthday party, then we all went to my sister and brother-in-law's house for my nephew's birthday party.  So good for all the cousins to see each other and it was a beautiful night out to celebrate Tyson turning two! Oh, and we also got to watch the Hawks (just barely) pull off a win which always makes the weekend even sweeter!

Sunday after church we went to Jethro's to celebrate Kent's birthday with my parents and grandma. Brunch was delicious and the chocolate cake they bring out for birthdays there is epic. Later Kael had his first tackle football game! His team got the win and I was blown away by the number of friends and family who showed up to cheer for Kael.

This morning the kids were so excited to tell Kent "Happy Birthday" as soon as they woke up.  Kase couldn't wait to give him his presents and was happy to help him open them.  The rest of the day was fairly low-key.  I did try to make him a special birthday dinner even though we didn't all get to eat it at the same time. :) 

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Kent's leaving tomorrow to go fishing in Canada with my dad and one of my brother-in-laws.  I'm so happy for him that he's going to get away for awhile.  What great timing that their trip falls so close to his birthday, too!

Happy birthday, Kent! You make 32 look good. ;)

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful it was a short week.

I'm thankful that it's Kent's birthday weekend, which means we have a few fun plans to look forward to.

I'm thankful Kylee seems to have a little bit of her sparkle back.  It was a tough week for her at school and she's ready to clock some serious family time.

I'm thankful Kael is loving his busy schedule.  We're talking practice every night of the week besides Friday, practice and a game on Saturdays, and a game on Sunday afternoons.  He's keeping up on his school work and still squeezing in plenty of time with family and friends.  I'm proud of how he's juggling it all.

I'm thankful for help this week from my mom and Cindy.

I'm thankful for the beautiful forecast this weekend.

I'm thankful for friends and this tight-knit community that I'm raising my kids in.  We've got each other's backs around here on North Park. ;)

Have a great weekend!

Weekend Wrap-Up

I love long weekends.  Really, really, really love long weekends.

Friday Kylee came home with news that she was the Main Event! I thought she would be super excited but she reported that she'd missed me all day at school and wished she had been home. :( Looks like it's going to take us awhile to get into a happy back to school routine.

My parents brought over pizza to celebrate, we played cards, and had a nice, relaxing family night.

Saturday morning, Kent helped my dad fix his bridge then we spent most of the day hanging around there.  Kylee had a Michael's gift card to use so she got some new Rainbow Looms and craft glitter.  We watched the Hawks (barely) pull off a win, then headed home for awhile.  Then we found out my cousins were going to be in town so we met up with them and my grandma and my parents and one of my sisters and her kids at Wig and Pen for dinner.  Then everyone came back to our house for a little bit.

Sunday Kylee had fun playing with my old Hot Loops.  Fellow kids of the '80s, tell me you had these and loved them!!! We also spent a little time boating and later played volleyball in the yard with neighbors. 

Monday we went to Bass Pro so Kent and my dad could stock up on some things for their upcoming Canada fishing trip. The kids had so much fun climbing on the boats and four wheelers.  Kael picked out the ones he's hoping to own when he gets older. :)  

While we were at Bass Pro, my parents bought a new tube/ski trainer so Kael and Kylee were anxious to give it a try! It was a fun afternoon boating. 

I try to promise Kent that I'll ski with him at least once a year and with the end of summer upon us, I figured this was one of the last weekends I could do it.  The water was rough but we did it!

Monday evening, Kent's parents stopped by and Kael had football practice before we tucked everyone in early to get ready for the day today.  

Back to the daily grind today.  Happy it's a short week.  How was your weekend?