Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful that after three trips to Target and two trips to Kohls, I finally found something suitable for Kylee to wear for school pictures.  #tweenager

I'm thankful for Kent's job.  I came home from work today to find our kitchen was completely taped off.  Like, couldn't even open our fridge and pantry also all taped off because painters were working on trim.  I hadn't planned on eating lunch out but obviously I had to since I had no other option.  We also needed to eat dinner out that night since I couldn't cook and it looks like we will need to do that for several more days.  I'm so thankful we are in a position financially where we don't have to worry about that. 

On the flip side, I will be so thankful when we can eat at home.  I miss cooking.  Eating out is not so healthy and I'm totally feeling it.  Between that and also lack of running due to headaches, I have not been feeling like a very fit family lately, myself especially.  For example, I bent over the other day and ripped out the rear end of my favorite jeans.  That actually happened.  Time to get back to running and eating healthy once our kitchen is functioning again. But this is what the kitchen looks like today...

I'm thankful for an awesome and memorable night of 8th grade football on Tuesday.  Kael got in on some tackles and got excited about calling the team in for the huddle!

He happily waved to us as he walked off the field.

Kael loves being part of the team.

Kent helped out with the chains.

Kase and Kylee cheered Kael on! It was a very chilly  night and they didn't mind at all!

But most of all Kael was happy to have a big group of family there supporting him. It really means a lot to him.  After the game we went out for dinner and happened to show up at a restaurant where some of Kael's friends were also eating.  He joined them at their table and I know he was so happy to be part of the group.

Have a great day!

Weekend Wrap-Up

So many memories and fun things to write about today!

Last week the summer temperatures hung around, so we pulled out the slip and slide after school.  Kase and his buddy had fun playing while Kylee helped entertain the little siblings!

Kael looks so grown up all ready for Game Day!

Love seeing him out on the field.

Wednesday I joined Kylee's class for a field trip to the Art Center.  Great to see how much she is enjoying school, her class and especially her teacher this year.

It was a really nice day out and I am so lucky to have time to be able to join in on one of her very last elementary school field trips!

Kylee and her volleyball buddies are making the most of a tough Parks and Rec season.

Kent and Kase are loving flag football this year.  They often spend their free time drawing up plays.

I love coming up the stairs and finding moments like this. 

Kent and I spent some time last Friday afternoon tearing the house apart even further in preparation for new floors soon.  I'm thankful he's so handy and we can save ourselves some time and money by doing some of the prep work.

Friday night was the annual Ashland Ridge PTO bonfire.  The kids all had so much fun.

Saturday morning Kylee had a game and her team even WON!

She spent the evening at a friends birthday party, crafting!

The boys played outside until the very last second of daylight.  They cannot get enough of this fall weather, sports and neighbor friends. It is so.very.good. Besides that one time over the weekend that we couldn't find Kase, but later turned up inside a neighbor's house because all the little buddies are so close lately they act like brothers and just wander in and out of each other's houses without telling parents where they're going.  But we've fixed that now. ;)

If this isn't how you make pancakes at your house on Sunday mornings, are you even having any fun in you life?! I mean, plywood floors...karate chop action with spatulas...makeshift workspace using a card table...we are definitely living our best life right now.

And when breakfast is done we walk to church.  I love these days.

Then, football.  First grade flag football is so hilariously awesome. 

Kase loves it so, SO much. I'm really enjoying watching him play.

Straight from the game to a birthday party where he had a blast and also came home with a giant bruise/scratch on his head because he is allll boy. 

We wrapped up our weekend with a trip to the newly opened ice cream shop in town.  

Fall has been busy but we are busy making memories! Love it!

Thankful Thursday

Kent started mowing the lawn at 6:58.  AM.  In the morning.  Before work today.  Because we are that busy right now, people.  Our lives are so crazy that we don't have a single second on the evenings or weekends for the lawn to get taken care of. 

I'd love to take a minute to document what's going on in our lives so when things slow down in November, or maybe in fifteen years, I'll look back and smile, remembering this wonderfully busy season of our lives.

Kael is playing football so he's gone from about 7:30 in the mornings until 6:30 in the evenings.  By the time he gets home and showers and eats dinner and does homework, his night is pretty much gone.  Additionally on Wednesdays he has Youth Group and even has an all day/overnight retreat coming up.

Kylee is doing cross country and volleyball which means between the two she has at least five practices a week and a game on weekends with XC meets starting soon.  Additionally she babysits often and also keeps a busy social calendar with birthday parties and sleepovers nearly every weekend.

Kase is in football which he loves and has practice once a week and a game on the weekends.  He also more or less lives in the backyard playing football with neighbor friends.  I see him only intermittently when I can be of assistance administering snacks and gatorades.

Kent works a full time job as best as possible as it fits in his schedule between making calls on the house (ha!) Honestly, he has done all.the.things for getting our house back together.  Getting quotes for flooring and paint and everything else has all been on him and has taken him more time then he would like but he still manages to work and also coach Kase's football team, which is no small task.  Lots of spirited, competitive boys on the team this year!

I'm working at our church preschool three days a week and added a small role this year teaching Spanish to the four year old afternoon class. Yesterday I joined the fifth grade class field trip to the Art Center and Sculpture Park; I volunteer in the classroom whenever I can, and I attempt to keep a tidy house with the chaos surrounding us.  This is tough to do when Kase barfs.  At dinner time.  On the plywood floors (remember we got flooded a month ago and our new floors aren't in yet).  That actually happened last night.  Has anyone every tried to clean vomit off plywood?! I'd love some suggestions of how to get that smell out...

So that's what's going on around here.  I'm feeling like I have precious little time for family and friends but we're making the most of every minute and enjoying time watching our kids play sports and being a part of all the things they are involved in.  We are getting VERY anxious to have our house back to normal and know we will appreciate our family time even more in our fixed up house!

Weekend Wrap-Up

Kase had the best time on his long weekend/vacation with Keith and Cindy! 

I loved getting pictures of their adventures!

The weather was nice there and I think Keith and Cindy really enjoyed their one-on-one time with Kase. He had a great time!

He even got to drive his own go kart!

Meanwhile, Kylee and I went to the Iowa/ISU volleyball game with some friends.  How fun!

And we got to watch my nephew play soccer.  Kael and Kylee had fun playing with Berkley while we watched Huston too.

Kylee has started band! She really wanted to play the tuba but it was a lottery since lots of kids wanted to play and only two got picked.  Her second choice was the clarinet and I have had fun listening to her practice this weekend!

Saturday evening we took the TV outside and watched the Hawkeyes play while the kids played backyard football with friends.  It was a great night.

Sunday Kase had his first flag football game! He loved it! It was super hot out but that didn't stop him from scoring three touchdowns! 

We wrapped up our weekend with Kylee having volleyball practice and cross country practice in the 90 degree heat.  The boys spent alllll afternoon and evening playing football in the backyard with friends!