Monday, September 27, 2021

Fall Fun!

We are officially into the fun of fall with cooler temperatures and fall-like weekend activities!  While summer will always be my favorite season, there is something about the fall that gets me excited to welcome a new time of year!  Last weekend we took the boys to a college football game at Aunt Lindsey and Uncle Boomer's college, Wake Forest.  The boys loved eating snacks and watching the Demon Deacons defeat the FSU Seminoles... this Gator fan wasn't too sad about that either! haha  Grammy came along with us while Grandpa was out of town for his annual golf trip.  While I referenced cooler temperatures, those didn't arrive until after this football game.... we were pretty hot as evidenced by the sweaty pictures!



The boys got haircuts... and I had to document the new obsession with throwing up the peace sign in our picture taking! haha

We celebrated Grandpa's birthday at Cracker Barrel.  We selected the restaurant since it would have been Great Grandma's 90th birthday and the two of them typically celebrated their birthdays together each year.  It was a fun evening together with the family and there was much to celebrate as time with family is always cherished.  Great Grandma was definitely missed and I think it made us appreciate the time together even more.
My parents went for a weekend trip to the mountains last weekend... aren't they cute?!  I think retirement looks good on them!  Although I will have to add that they help us a great deal with the kids so maybe they are partially retired! haha
The boys are loving soccer this season!  They tried a new sport and haven't looked back!  Both boys scored multiple goals this weekend and other parents have talked to me about how shocked they are that Zander and Maddox haven't played soccer prior to this season.  They definitely can hustle down the field and are involved in most plays!  Zander even tried goalie this past week and blocked quite a few balls from getting into the net!  They are both incredibly athletic and I love cheering them on from the sidelines!


Our annual Spring Folly was this past weekend... in the fall!  It gave us a taste of fair food, rides and enjoying the cooler temperatures as we walked around downtown!  Grannie and GranDan came to visit so they were able to enjoy the festival with us while also cheering on Maddox at his soccer game.  They plan to come back to see Z in action on the soccer field.

Thursday, September 16, 2021

Soccer and September 11th!

It is crazy when you are old enough to have lived through significant events in our nation's history.  I can remember exactly where I was 20 years ago when the terrorists attacked our nation and caused the loss of many lives.  I was in my music education class as a freshman at UNCG.  The professor dismissed the class immediately telling us he was emotional and needed to process what was going on at that exact moment.  I had two classes prior to this that morning and was unaware of the events that were unfolding as I walked across campus from one building to another.  I went with a friend to the dorms and watched the news broadcasting the events that had happened hours earlier.  I had no idea what I was watching would be one of the most important historical events of my young life.  As we remembered those that died twenty years ago and the people that have fought to keep our freedoms to this day, our school created a human flag using all 730 students and approximately 100 staff members.  You can see the final product below along with our set up!  I also took a picture of the UNCG post that marked the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.  It is so hard to believe that I was there at the events mentioned in the post!  May we never forget our history so we can plan for our futures.  I already wonder what our boys will pass along to the next generation as they are living through events that will be depicted in our US history for years to come.  



As I often get emotional about all the boys have had to endure over the last year and a half since the pandemic started, I really appreciated this reminder that they have been called to live for such a time as this.  We each are exactly where God has intended us to be, facing the challenges and successes of 2021!
We also started our soccer games this past week.  The jerseys haven't arrived yet but the boys loved playing with their team on the soccer fields this past weekend! Zander scored two goals in his first game, assisting his team with a 3-2 victory!  While Maddox's team didn't win, Maddox had many good plays and loved running up and down the field after the ball!

A few other events from our week.... daddy was out of town for 5 days so I would occasionally send him pictures from our outings!  We enjoyed dinner at Chickfila one night with my mom, sister and her kiddos!
We also picked up donuts for breakfast before church since I was in charge of breakfast for our Sunday school class... we figured we would eat some before we shared some! ;)

We started back with AWANA... the boys are loving our Sunday evening routine at church.... it brings back some of the "normal" we missed this past year!
Zander got to be the guest reader for our nightly read alouds at our school!

We met my mom, Emerson and Eli at the park after school one day while Aunt Lindsey is out of town!
We have been busy.... but we are enjoying every minute!  We are also excited that daddy is home!  

Thursday, September 9, 2021

Getting Caught Up!

 This is just a random post to catch up on the last few weeks since school started!   Enjoy the pictures! ;)

We are getting back into the routine of school.  Some of my favorite moments are when I get to read to children or work with students in between the other job responsibilities I have!  Once a teacher, always a teacher! ;)

This just cracks me up! We like sending videos to friends and family for their birthdays.  This time I accidentally had the camera set up rather than the video option!  Here we are getting ready to start with "happy"! ;) haha!
We had the day off for Labor Day and I took the boys to the science center while daddy worked!
We also fit in a family hike last weekend to Hanging Rock.... it was our first time back since Maddox scratched his cornea a year ago at the same mountain! I am thankful to report that there were no injuries this time! 

The boys are loving school... here are some pictures I have received from Maddox's teachers!


Also, the boys enjoy seeing their friends before and after school! I love having both of them with me every day! 
The boys kept me company while I donated blood for the American Red Cross one afternoon.... the tablets were key to have them stay in one place! haha
Also, our boys were on the front page of the newspaper for our Back to School Prayer Walk! I love our small town! ;)