Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful my sisters came over last week for a girls night. We MUST make this happen more often, no?!

I'm thankful my brother-in-law Rob was available to adjust Kael last Friday night.  Kael's ear started swelling up as it occasionally does, and the only thing we've found to help is chiropractic care by Uncle Rob! How lucky are we that he lives in town and doesn't mind us stopping by on a Friday night for an adjustment?!

I'm thankful for friends on the morning walk to school. I was a second too late taking this picture- they had been all walking arm in arm. 

I'm thankful to have started on all things Christmas. I spent last Friday shopping, Kent put the lights up over the weekend, and yesterday since it was so rainy, Kylee asked if we could bake a batch of Christmas cookies. I'm thinking our tree will be up soon.

I'm thankful the kids didn't mind riding their bikes while I ran last night. With fewer hours of daylight, I always seem to barely squeeze in a quick run each day. I wasn't sure how it would go having them all three ride while I ran but it went great! 

I'm thankful for quiet mornings. If Kase sleeps past 5:00, I consider it a success. 

I'm thankful for board games. These long evenings have already had us digging into our board game closet and it's fun that Kase is old enough to play a lot of them now!

I'm thankful the Jaguar volleyball team won on Tuesday. They play today at 10:00- I will be following closely on Twitter!

Have a good day, everyone! 

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for the chance to go to lunch with Kylee last week.  It always love to see my kids in their school setting.

I'm thankful Kent was home last week when I set the smoke alarms off when I was baking pumpkin muffins for Kase's turn to bring the preschool snack. 

I'm thankful for the snowpants and mittens Cindy got for my kids.  They're ready for winter even if I'm not!

I'm thankful Kael enjoyed babysitting at the PTO meeting last night.  He was SO excited that he was one of four kids in his class who was able to do it.

I'm thankful Kase and I made it home from a long bike ride on Monday. As you can see below, we took several breaks on the way home. 

I'm thankful Circus Camp lived up to the hype! Kylee had been so excited for their final day of aerial arts and she had so much fun! 

I'm thankful the Jaguar volleyball team made it to state!

I'm thankful for late starts.  Especially for Kael.  With early band and sometimes late-ish basketball practices, I'm so glad he gets the chance to sleep in once a week.

Happy Thursday, all!

Fall

There is a tree in my parents' backyard that turns the most beautiful shade of yellow every year on my grandma's birthday.  Truly, we were at my parents' house on Sunday and the tree was still green. Like clockwork, today, on my grandma's birthday, it was yellow.  So I took the kids over and snapped a few pictures.  Here is one from each of the last three years!

2013

2014

2015

We also had a lovely time celebrating with my grandma today- we had lunch with her and the kids made cards for her.  So thankful she was feeling well enough to celebrate!

Weekend Wrap-Up

How was your weekend? Did you survive the time change? Our kids have been getting up super early lately anyways so it didn't affect us too much this year.  Here's how we spent our weekend!

Thursday evening we went to the volleyball game to cheer on the Jags! They play again tomorrow night to see if they go to state- we have so much fun supporting our neighbor who is the head coach. Shortly before we left for the game, we found out we had been "Boo-ed".  The kids were over the moon.  There were lots of fun treats and it got the kids even more excited for Trick-or-Treat (if that's possible)!

 

Friday morning, everyone was up early. The kids opened some Halloween treat bags from my mom, then Kael was off to early band. 

Since we were up so very early, Kase and Kylee painted teal pumpkins (for our friends with allergies) to set out on the porch with our candy.

I also attempted a fun spider web dip.  Looks festive, tasted not so great.  I accidentally bought some guacamole that had loads of cilantro in it and it was super strong.  Oh well!

I had lunch with Kylee at school on Friday, then when she came home that day, she was bursting with exciting news.  They earned a class party AND she got picked to be Star Student of the Week next week! She got right to work filling out and coloring her special poster.

Then we got ready for Trick-or-Treat.  We always have a great time with our neighbor crew!

We let Kael go with his friends this year, which he was so excited about.  Kase lasted until about 6:40, and Maleficent (with her own homemade horns, I might add), lasted the longest. 

Once we were all home and in pajamas, the candy trading was ON! What a fun night!

Saturday morning Kent went into work for a little while.  The kids and I cleaned the house, then just had a lazy day- they got out their sleeping bags even and had a little mid-day slumber party in the living room.  It was cold and gloomy outside so we spent the rest of the day just watching the Hawks (8-0, baby!) and hanging out.

Sunday after church we had lunch with my family, then went out to walk around my mom and dad's backyard.  The weather was so perfect.  Hard to believe it was November 1!

A neighbor kid of my parents' recently found this deer skull in the backyard- Kylee was not at all afraid to hold it.  Eeek!

We headed back home, kids played outside with neighbor friends for quite awhile, then Keith and Cindy came and we rode bikes to Kase's beloved "Small Monkey Bar Park", which is what he calls the park with monkey bars that aren't very high up and he has been able to do them for a long time.  Kael had basketball practice, then we spent the rest of the night cheering on the Royals! Kael especially has had so much fun watching this World Series.  It was a great weekend! We have a busy-ish week ahead, with something going on nearly every evening.  Hoping to spend most of today outside enjoying the weather!!!

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful Kael is enjoying early band. He has to leave the house by 7:00 two days a week and he has such a great attitude about it. In fact, he's had a great attitude about everything lately. I love it.

I'm thankful Kent deals with all things insurance.  With his job change, there have been lots of phone calls, papers to sign, etc. I'm so glad he handles it.

I'm so glad Kylee is having fun at Circus Camp!

I'm thankful Kael let me borrow his sweatshirt when I went for a run last night. I took him to basketball practice and let him know that I'd be going for a quick run while he was there, then I'd be back to pick him up.  Here's how the conversation went:


Maybe you shouldn't go. 
I won't be gone long, Kael.
But Mom, it's pretty dark out." 
I know buddy. I'm going to run up at the soccer complex where it's lit. 
But you should have brought a flashlight.
I'll be fine.
It's pretty cold and windy tonight. 
You're right, Kael. I probably should have dressed warmer.
Here.  I'm not going to wear this. (Hands me his favorite sweatshirt).
Thanks, Kael. 

I love everything about this.  I love that he's cares where I'm going. I love that he's worried about me. I love that he's stepping into a protective role.  I love that he is so chivalrous to offer me his sweatshirt.  I love that he's grown up enough that his sweatshirts actually fit me.  And I love that I had a sweatshirt to wear because he was right- it was pretty cold out.  I'm so thankful for Kael's big heart.  

I'm thankful to be a stay at home mom.  The other day I came home from preschool- it was cold and gloomy so Kase and I made pumpkin bread and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and even got out the hot cocoa.  Kael and Kylee were so happy to come home to a warm snack waiting for them!

I'm thankful for a fun fall party with my little bat this morning.  I'm just loving being a part of preschool and so thankful to be there with him! 

I'm thankful for my friend who lent me her M and M costume!

I'm thankful for a heritage project that Kael is doing. He has the opportunity to interview my grandma and both she and he are loving this.  What a great way for them to spend time together and how interesting for him to learn about how things were for her growing up.  

Have a great weekend, all!

Weekend Wrap-Up

Oh, how I love weekends.

Friday was Kent's last day of work at his previous job (he started his new endeavor this morning) so a bunch of co-workers and Kent went out to celebrate Friday afternoon.  He left many fond memories and wonderful people, but we are both very excited about his new opportunity.  After the well-wishes, Kent came home and we had a family movie night.  Kylee is going to be Maleficent for trick-or-treat and we hadn't ever actually seen the movie so we watched that.  Kael and Kylee got such a kick out of how Kase said, "Fla-micalent" instead of Maleficent.

Saturday morning we spent prepping for the party! Kent cleaned the garage and mowed, I tackled the inside of the house, and before we knew it, the house was filled with family, ready to surprise Keith for his 60th birthday! We had a great evening celebrating!

Sunday at church Kase sat quietly on my lap the.whole.time which indicated to me that he wasn't feeling great.  He took an early nap, then we just kind of bummed around.  Later in the afternoon we carved and painted pumpkins which the kids loved! Kael also had his first basketball practice.

We have a fun week ahead at preschool with our Fall Party and other pumpkin activities.  Kent will have a busy week with work and Kael starts early band.  How was your weekend?

Thankful Thursday

I'm so thankful for a friend at the library! She ordered some books she knew Kael would like so she put them on hold for him and he got to be the first one to read them once our library got them!

I'm thankful that at least Kael is sleeping in.  Kase and Kylee have been waking up before 6:00 and with the time change upon us, soon that will be more like 5:00.

I'm thankful for some fun Halloween events tonight!

I'm thankful that conferences went well for both Kael and Kylee.  I'm always glad to hear they are doing well in school!

I'm thankful for my mom and Cindy's help watching Kase when I have things going on during the day.

I'm thankful for a fun weekend ahead!