Thankful Thursday

I'm so  thankful for the teacher who took the time to write this encouraging letter to Kael.  It made his day and mine!

I'm thankful for a nice lunch out with my mom last week.  It was so great to have time to catch up!

I'm thankful for the sound of kids joyfully running out of school on Friday afternoons.  

I'm thankful my friend invited us to join her and her son at Courage League sports last week.  Kase and Kylee joined in a drumming class and also had fun on the obstacle course.  We are so lucky here in Ankeny to have these awesome places that encourage inclusion for everyone!

I'm thankful for this picture Kase drew at school last week.  "I care for my cousins," he told me.

I'm thankful for fall, for time spent with family, for a fun weekend ahead.  How about you?

Weekend Wrap-Up

We had a really nice family weekend.  Friday night we had a few options of things to do- Kael had wanted to go to the football game but then decided he was pretty hot at tired from Pond Day at his school.  There was also a youth group event at our church, but we didn't feel like splitting up and going all different directions so we decided to all go together to see the Lego Ninjago movie.  The movie itself wasn't our absolute favorite but it was a nice way to spend the evening. We stopped for FroYo on the way home- a sweet end to our night!

Saturday morning Kylee had a volleyball game.  She has so much fun playing and her team is a really great group of girls.  We also got our first experience learning how to do the scoreboard and line judging.  The girls had fun with that!

After volleyball, I fun bullied Kent into going to Adventureland.  It was the last day of the season that we would be able to go and the kids have been asking him to be able to join us all year! It was HOT out but his ticket was super discounted and by all accounts it was totally worth it.

That's Kent and Kael up on the far left!

Ready to get on the Sky Ride!

Kent says his favorite part of the day was the ice cream shop.

We had a lot of fun and everyone was hot and tired when we got home.  We turned on the Hawkeye game on in the garage, set out some snacks, and had some neighbors join us to watch it! The kids all had fun together and it turned out to be a great game!

Sunday after church Kylee headed off to a friend's birthday party and the boys had football games. Kase was up first and had a great time at his game.  He scored a couple touchdowns AND got double snack and Gatorade afterwards so it doesn't get much better than that! 

In between games I had volleyball practice to coach so Keith and Cindy hung out with Kase and helped him make this awesome fort for a Nerf gun war! 

Kael's game was next.  He had been so excited for his game all week.  Kael mostly plays defense but gets in on offense occasionally and today he caught a pass and ran for a touchdown! I was so happy for him.  Also, his team won on a last second play so it was a really fun game. 

We celebrated after the game with ice cream all around! Kylee had just finished cross country practice in time to join us! 

Whew.  A fun, family-filled, busy, hot weekend.  The kids are all really enjoying the sports they are playing right now which makes all the running around to practices and things so worthwhile.  Have a great week, everyone!

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for backyard football with neighborhood buddies.

I'm thankful that these three keep pumpkin shopping entertaining.

I'm thankful that summer keeps holding on.  It is HOT out for September but I'd take that over the cold any day!

I'm thankful for the chance to coach Kylee in volleyball.  Kent has coached the kids in tons of their sports but this is the first time I'm getting to do it with Kylee and we're having so much fun.

I'm thankful for everyone who comes to watch our kids play their sports.  We always have a big cheering section!

I'm thankful for my job.  Teaching preschool is the perfect part time job for me.  

I'm thankful the weekend is near! 

Weekend Wrap-Up

Our weekend flew by! And it was filled with so many fun things.

Friday after school Kael had a social.  He had a great time there with his friends.  We picked him up and then we all went to Geisler Farms for the PTO sponsored bonfire.  There was a great turn out and the kids had so much fun with lots of their friends! They did the corn pool, corn maze, big slide, jumpy pillow, giant tire swing, made s'mores, and went for a hayrack ride! It was a great way to spend the evening.

Saturday morning we picked our apples, pumpkins and gourds at our house.  Every year the kids say the apples from our tree taste better than any others! There is something really fun about picking apples from your own tree and pumpkins from your own garden.

Kylee had her first volleyball game this weekend! She played great the the team had so much fun. Several of her friends came to watch her too!

We had lunch with Kent's parents then came home and Kase played with his friend down the street for awhile.  Later we went to some friends' house to watch the Iowa game and then ended up going out for a bike ride and out for dinner with them as a belated birthday celebration. Kylee stayed overnight with her friends!

Sunday the boys had football games.  Kase was so excited to play, and in fact, the first words out of his mouth when he woke up were, "It's my game day, right?!" It was fun watching him!

Kael and his team had a great game.  Kael was excited for several reasons- he got to play QB and even threw a touchdown pass, he also caught a two point conversion, AND the coach used a play in the game that Kael had drawn up and shown to him at a practice earlier this week.  So cool!

Kylee and I had volleyball practice and later she had cross country.  We also spent a little time out at the park with friends before coming in and calling it a night! What a fun weekend!

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful when I come across pictures like this on my phone.  Kylee likes to leave selfies for me to find. 

I'm thankful the kids are all enjoying their fall sports.  Football was new for Kase this year and volleyball was new for Kylee this year.  She's also with a different running club and so far, so good with everything! It's keeping us busy.

I'm thankful for Kase's friend who lives down the street.  They hardly knew each other before kindergarten started but have started spending every day after school together and also play together a lot in the evenings.  It's fun for Kase to have a buddy to hang with!

I'm thankful for the warm weather.  It's been pretty hot here lately, and while I do prefer more fall-like temps, I'm just glad it hasn't turned cold already!

Short and sweet today.  Have a great weekend! 

Weekend Wrap-Up

What a whirlwind of a weekend!

Kent's birthday was Friday- the kids loved celebrating with him! We made Oreo blizzards on his birthday eve. 

Then we were all in our Hawkeye gear on Friday! Kent opened a few gifts before everyone headed off to school.

The boys had picked out a Nerf gun (that was certainly just as much for them as it was for him) to give him. But it was pretty powerful and they had fun shooting it off the deck! Kylee had made some special gifts for him too.

That night we went for a family bike ride around Gray's Lake then ate dinner at Mullet's.  The kids thought it was fun eating on the rooftop! 

Saturday morning Kent and I went tailgating at the Iowa/ISU game with some good friends.  Kent went to the game and Keith and Cindy brought me home once the game started since they didn't plan to go to the game either. We had such a fun time and it was a great game! The kids and I had so much fun watching at home. Plus, the Hawkeyes WON!!!!!

Meanwhile, my parents watched the kids and took them to watch my niece's soccer game, where Kase found a buddy (one of my preschool students last year) to play with.

After the game, the kids and I went to the apple orchard for a couple hours.  It wasn't busy at all and it was such a beautiful day. We love going there.

Later that night we stopped by my dear friend's house- it was her 40th birthday! These cuties had fun playing together.

Sunday was a super busy day.  We had football pictures, football games, volleyball practice and cross country practice.  But it was all so.much.fun.

Kase said his football game was the most fun thing ever in his life.  And honestly, it looked like it! He was having a blast out on the field. 

Kent and our neighbor friend ended up coaching. They've coached basketball, baseball and now football together! It's fun that Kase has a neighbor buddy on his team, too.

Kase scored three touchdowns!

He was just so happy the whole game.

We are so very lucky to have tons of family come and support the kids at their sporting events. We had quite a crew at both Kael and Kase's games!

Kael was going up against a friend today- they had been talking about the game all week.  Kael was so relieved when his team won 22-20!

I love watching him play football.  He had a great time out there.

Meanwhile, Kase and his cousin had fun running around together!

Kent says fall is the best and after such a fun-filled weekend, I think I have to agree.  We had so much family/friend/football time and just enjoyed being out in the beautiful weather.  I hope you had a great weekend too!