Weekend Wrap-Up

What a great weekend but brrrr it's definitely starting to feel like fall/winter here!

Friday Kylee's team raced at state- it was a little lower placement then they were hoping for but still a great experience and I'm so proud of her and happy for her that she is a part of the state team! Love our Jags.

That night Kase had some buddies over because Kent recently got our basement TV project finished! We all had a blast watching the World Series and the Jag football game and also having a Tetris tournament going.  I see lots of fun times ahead!

Saturday Kylee left early for a church retreat and had an amazing time- especially at the church they went to in Ames on their way home.  Love to have her come home happy and energized!

Kent and I spent the day doing projects around the house and Kase played with friends.  Later we snuck away for a little date night and Kase had a buddy spend the night.  They felt pretty cool Door Dashing Mr. Beast Burger and getting to stay home alone for awhile.  Kent has a client who owns a brewery we had been meaning to stop by for a very long time and finally made it happen.

Sunday I met my sisters at church and Kent stayed home with the boys since they were just getting up from their sleepover.  Then we had a fun surprise stop from Mandy and Brooklyn and were glad to be able to help get Brooklyn's soccer clothes dry from a water bottle spill before her game! Kent, Kase, one of his friends and I all went up to watch B play for a few minutes- it was chilly and Kylee was on her way home so we didn't get to stay long but were thrilled to get to see her for a little while! 

Kylee spent the afternoon gutting her room in preparation for some new bedroom furniture.  Her sweet boyfriend helped and they got a lot done.  Kase played with friends which made for just a great weekend for him getting to spend all day and night hanging with his buddies.  Highlights include: attempting to watch a scary movie but lasting about five minutes, riding drift trikes in the garage and playing Madden. 

Kent worked putting up Halloween lights and working on the fog machine and got it looking really great for tomorrow night.  Keith and Cindy stopped by, a few more of Kase's friends came and went and then we finally sent them all home and had the nicest family night- ordered in Mexican food, had some great talks, sat in the hot tub and then watched a movie.  Lovely end to the weekend! We had also heard from Kael who had a high school friend come visit him at Central and he had a great weekend too hanging out with him.  Love when all my people are happy.  

Have a great week!

Thankful Thursday

Kase is thankful it's a short week. 

I'm thankful Kael came back to a costume party at Trailside Tap and had fun surprising old co-workers.  Hilarious that he was in town and didn't stop to see us too- I love that he has his own life and plans going on outside of feeling like he needs to come home!

I'm thankful the kids have fun going up and cheering on the volleyball team.  A USA theme was perfect for these Crew boys!

Have a great week! 

Weekend Wrap-Up

 Friday was a no school day for the kids- hooray for Fall Break!

Kase played with buddies late Thursday night and Kylee went to the playoff volleyball game.  Friday morning Kase and I hit up a donut place and Kylee had a job interview! She is excited to start working at The Treehouse daycare. Kase spent the day playing with friends and Kylee went to the apple orchard with cross country friends. Later we all went to the Jag game at Urbandale- Weston and Gavin rode along and Kylee went with Nora and Lily.  Beautiful night and Jags won.

Saturday morning Kylee had a long run then decorated door signs for State XC! I am just so proud of her and so happy for her that she's a part of the state team again this year. Kent and Kase headed to Iowa City- they had been invited to go to the Hawkeye game with some friends. 

Kylee spent the evening babysitting a two year old and a four month old- no small task! She did great. 

Sunday morning we were all four up and available to go to early service which was so nice. Great celebrating 25 years of The Ridge!

We spent the afternoon at Keith and Cindy's celebrating the October birthdays. Always great to see everyone there. 

Monday the kids didn't have school. Kylee had cross country then a little shopping for buddy gifts with her team.  Kase was super helpful doing a few errands and jobs around the house then I took him and his friend to the apple orchard. It was a beautiful day and they had fun! 

Crazy how many years I have spent going here and this year was likely my last bringing any of the kids. They are all getting so grown up for it!

Later Kase had basketball practice and then we just got ready for the week! 

Thankful Thursday

 I'm thankful Kase was awarded Best Listener in his youth group last week.  He was so proud to come home and show me the speaker he won.

I'm thankful for a great report from Kase's teachers at conferences! The most common comment was "He's a positive leader/role model who always wants to do his best". So proud of Kase!

I'm thankful for one last lunch out with Kael before he headed back to school and this funny photo opp.

Also thankful for long twilight walks with Kael! It's been so nice out lately and it's such a great way to get to talk with him.

I'm thankful Kylee had a great subs race in Iowa City the other night! She ran sub 20 again!

Looking forward to a long weekend- a couple days off school for Kylee and Kase!

Weekend Wrap-Up

 Thursday night we went out for dinner to celebrate Kylee winning conference! Fun night. 

Friday Kylee had a procedure for her ingrown toenail and spent the day recovering at home and getting homework done.  We laughed about Kylee having a "day off" that included a 7 mile run at 7:00 AM and a minor surgery.  Ha. It was nice to spend the day with her though!

Then, Kael came home! It was SO great having a nice family dinner.  He had requested cheeseburger chowder and blueberry pie and I was happy to cook for him and the whole fam. He loved telling us all about school and answering our questions.  

(Earlier in the night these two were accidentally twinning while watching the rain.)

Then they all (plus a couple of Kase's friends) went to the football game- it was chilly and rainy so I stayed home and did Kael's laundry and stuff.  Garrett got to play the whole game and did well!

Saturday morning Kent and I went for a walk, the boys had a lazy morning watching TV together and Kylee volunteered for the Middle School State XC meet- it's her team's annual fundraiser. 

Later Kael went to the gym then my parents stopped by and Kael was happy to chat with them.  Kase had a buddy over then later Keith and Cindy took them to Urban Air with Kellen and Krue!

And a stop at Pizza Ranch of course for some food and arcade time.

Then everyone ended up back here (Garrett came over too) and the kids rode scooters and big wheels, jumped on the trampoline and played some backyard football.  I had a full house and a very full heart.

Kylee and Garrett made Halloween pizza and cupcakes.  Kael had requested lasagna so I had made that too.  Super great night all of us hanging out, playing games and watching football.  Later Kent and Kael went on a twlight walk too.

Sunday Kylee volunteered at first service then we all went to second service.  So nice having my whole crew together at church! Kael seemed happy to be back too. Then Kase had his last football game of the season. He got his foot stepped on and rolled his ankle so it wasn't the game he wanted that's for sure. 

Kylee had coffee with friends then cross country.  Kael and Kase spent the afternoon watching football together. We had another lovely family dinner when Kylee got home then later Kent, Kael and I went for a long twilight walk.  It was so nice! Kylee headed to a fall party with her Rocky friends. 

It's been so great having such a lovely family weekend! 

Thankful Thursday

 I'm thankful for our 9/10 CONFERENCE CHAMP!!!

Kylee had such a great race last night!! It was a beautiful night for a race and Kylee showed up- big time! I could tell she was feeling great right from the start.  By midway through the race, she and two Johnston girls had pulled far ahead of the pack.  Kylee passed one of them and then a ways before the finish, she overtook the other girl and WON!!!! She had such a great kick and strong finish and I was SO happy for her. She was smiling and happy all race and when she finished too. 

The two Johnston girls beat Kylee last week but she got redemption when it mattered!

Thankful for a friend who got these shots of Kylee at the finish.  His son and Kylee ran together years ago through ATC and he still continues to follow Kylee and cheer her on!

Thankful for our village who comes to support her! And bring her Tropical Smoothie between races and chips and salsa for afterwards! Our fam is the best.

Ankeny Centennial team!

I'm seriously thankful for her coaches and former teammates parents who came out to cheer the team on as well.  Thankful for Kylee's hard work all season and how she's kept up such a positive attitude.  She said, "I've never won before, that was fun!"  I had to laugh because Kylee has won TONS of things before but not an outright winner in a cross country meet I guess! Never mind all the triathlons and fun runs she used to win-ha!

Kylee's time would have won the JV race also- by like 30 seconds! So putting those two races together she was 1st place out of almost 250 runners! Her time would have put her in the top 40 for varsity as well.  

I just can't say enough about her and not just because she won but because cross country is such a tough sport and I'm so proud of her that she has stuck it out through some hard times and continues time after time to find success and happiness. Love this girl and so thankful God gave her to us!

Weekend Wrap-Up

 It's been a great fall weekend- we love October!

Kylee had a great race in Fort Dodge.  We joke that she finally broke the Fort Dodge curse! Historically it has not been the Patterson children's most successful place to compete but she came in fourth out of 150 runners and was super happy at the end of the race! First Jag finisher that race!

I can't remember if I wrote about Kase's dodgeball tournament but he and his friends made it to the championship game! Way to go, boys!

We all went to the Pink Out game for volleyball- Jags vs Hawks and Jags won in 5! Kylee and I tried to recreate a pic from this game years ago.

Friday night Kase played with his best buddy and Kent and I went to the Ankeny Edward Jones fall BBQ.  Always great to catch up with everyone! Kylee went to dinner with friends then to the 

Centennial football game at Drake.

Saturday Kylee had a long run then she and Kase went with Garrett and Gavin and their family to tailgate for the ISU game.  So fun!

Kent and I made a little date day out of our kid-free day and went to Saylorville for a beautiful fall walk.  We tried a new to us place in Huxley, worked on planning our Spain trip and watched football and baseball.  We also stopped by the Pumpkin and Pints event uptown.  Later the kids all came back to our house then Kylee and Garrett went on to a Haunted House with their friends.  

In the middle of the night Kase got sick- I think he ate way too much junk food at the tailgate. Poor buddy was miserable. He dressed and went to his game to support his team but he didn't play.  Kylee had a bunch of homework then we all loaded up and went for a bike ride and to The Creamery for the last day of the season.  We ran into my sister and niece there so that was a fun surprise! What a beautiful day for a ride.  We spent the rest of our evening watching playoff baseball and football games!