October weekend

Kelvin and Carleigh headed to the ranch for youth weekend to get a big 'un! She's one cute gate girl. 

Scoping the scenery. 

Their sunset. 

5th grader and Kindergartener ready for the Fun Run. 

Cora and her girlfriends. 

Waiting his turn. 

Aaaaaand she's off! Gave it a good go for about half the race, then a bad quad cramp got the best of her. She was crying big tears on the other side of the course and didn't get to finish. She was so disappointed. :( 

Almost ready. I was too slow to catch his finish. Awesome roll stunt across the finish line. :) I think he came in 4th. He ran hard! 

After the run, we went to Luke's soccer game then headed back to the Fall Fest for some fun. 

We made it to the pumpkin patch too. 

We missed Careligh, but we didn't forget to get her a pumpkin. 

Givin' me some pumpkin peace!

I think October might be my favorite...well, one of them anyway. I wonder what Octobers are like in heaven. Do they grow pumpkins and watch the leaves on the trees change colors? Do they run through corn mazes and have three-legged sack races? I hope so. I like to think Emma and her friend Celia are having a ball this fall. I hope they are carving the prettiest pumpkins and eating caramel apples and popcorn balls like there's no tomorrow. I miss her. Now that the kids are so independent, I wonder how our lives would be different with her here with us. I like this stage...no diapers or diaper bags, no wiping hineys, everyone feeds themselves and the big ones can even cook some things themselves. I'm sure Emma would have loved cheesy grits like Luke and pancakes like all of them. I wonder if she would have liked gymnastics like Cora or preferred dance Iike Carleigh. I guess there will always be a hole, a yearning and longing. I look forward to the day we see her again. 

October blessings to you! 

Food and other stuff

So, we have been eating since I've gone back to work, but sometimes it's cereal for dinner, or sandwiches. We have eaten out WAY more than I am comfortable with. I have made menu plans for almost every week, but usually I don't get to stick to them as religiously as I used to for one reason or another. This week I made chili Sunday night, so the kids and I had that Monday with Freetos and cheese, of course. Kelvin had a dinner meeting for work he had to suffer through eating New York strip and asparagus, or something awful like that. Yesterday morning I threw all of the ingredients into the crockpot for Slow Cooker Lentil and Brown Rice Tacos. There isn't a much sweeter thing than coming home to dinner already cooked in the crockpot...except maybe my little kindergartner still being excited to see me and running up to me to give me a big ole hug when I get home. Tonight we had leftovers, and tomorrow night it will be Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad for which I will use rotisserie chicken, because it's quick and easy. I might even ask the nanny to cook the pasta if I can remember.

I sat down the other day to edit some soccer pics, and got a whole two completed out of fifty or so. Welcome to my world. Luke's team is doing well. He is still playing goalie most of the time, but occasionally he is getting to play the field.

Occasionally one gets by him, but not without him diving for it and eating some dirt!

This poor little guy just doesn't have a chance. 

Seems to be a theme with playing soccer and his tongue hanging out.

The beautiful white, puffy clouds opposite the big black rain-filled ones that dumped on us seconds after I took this photo.

Well, it's bedtime around these parts. Hope your week is going well. Happy hump day!

Kind of a month in review

I guess this is kind of month in review, but starting from the most recent...kinda. Really, it's all over the place...welcome to my world...

It's that time of year again. He's getting some field time this year. Crazy thing...it was mostly cloudy, but I got a LOT of sun watching the game...major raccoon eyes!  

Saw this on Pinterest. Such a good reminder. 

We went to the Rice Festival cook-off Friday night. This little doll melts me. 

It's a blurry mess, but this is Luke and Kelvin on the upside down loopy coaster. Kelvin is holding his cowboy hat with arms outstretched. They had a ball! Luke, Cora, and I road the spinning teacups just prior to the loopy ride, and I almost lost the bbq and beans I sampled before we hopped on the cups. I was pretty green the rest of the night. It was sheer delight for Cora and Luke. 

A couple of weekends ago, we went to the Gator Fest. The kids took an airboat ride, and Carleigh got covered in mud. She was still pretty! ❤️

My precious friend, Courtney and her husband, Michael. I've been friends with Court since our freshman year in high school (which was just the other day.) I love her BIG! She organizes the Gator Fest Motorcycle Ride which gives a portion of the proceeds to Emma's Hugs...so awesome! 

Carleigh was thrilled to take a pic with Mr. and Mrs. Gator. 

Kelvin and I rode the bull at the Gator Fest...

And the following weekend at HOPE Under the Stars fundraising event for Batten Disease Research...

We are pretty much semi pros. We looked for the bull at the Rice Fest, but they didn't have one. Smh!

I love our time at the ranch...

This man makes my heart skip a beat...

Hope your September has been full of fun and surprises. Here's to a happy fall, y'all!

More award festivities

We completed Thursday evening in Cleveland with a beautiful award presentation at the Ritz. The VP who introduced Kelvin was very gracious and invited me to the stage with him and Kelvin to take a photo since the award was given to Kelvin for his work with Emma's Hugs. I am SO blessed. We mingled, ate good food, mingled some more, and finished off the evening with some more good food. I probably gained five pounds over the course of the week! I was so impressed with all of the award winners. Lubrizol has some special people working for them. They were all superior at what they do. Kelvin was in good company. Of course, I forgot to take a single photo during the awards ceremony or the rest of the evening. :/

Friday morning we woke early and loaded the bus for Canada. OH.MY.GOSH! Y'all, I am in love! Canada was just plain gorgeous! We visited Niagra Falls first. There is a reason it is one of the seven wonders of the world. There are no words to do it justice.

Hopefully I can find some time real soon to post the pics of the rest of our time in Niagra on the Lake. It is one of the loveliest places I've ever seen. 

Babies...proof of God's possibilities

I got to squeeze (ever so slightly, of course) my sweet new nephew today. I'm in love. Don't you just stare in amazement at a newborn? They are such perfect miniature people. I'm just in awe. 

 

I thought it was precious how Luke wanted to hold him. Hope we can get in some more squeezes real soon. 

Good thing

Brownies a la mode after an evening of swimming is a good thing. Yummmmy

And mostly homemade salsa...it's a very good thing too! 

Per my sweet friend, Stacy:

Start with a jar of salsa (any cheap jar will do)

Add:

•A couple or three cloves of garlic

•a jalapeño or two, depending upon how spicy you like it...I like it haute like my man! ;)

•28 oz can of tomatoes

•a large handful or two of cilantro

•a bell pepper if you have one

•a smidge of sugar if you like

Blend all together in a food processor or blender. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips or use as a topping for nachos for dinner that you topped with the chopped up leftover rotisserie chicken you bought for the delicious jambalaya you made Friday night. (I'll share later. Remind me.) I've died and gone to food heaven!

Independence Day

One of my favorite things in the world is watching fireworks and reflecting on how thankful I am for the men and women who gave their lives so I could live in this beautiful land of the free and home of the brave.

We are spending this 4th at the beach with some precious friends watching fireworks up and down the beach as far as we can see. I'm in hog heaven. 

Happy Indepence Day! 

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36

I need to "Let it Go" --Friday Favorites

Y'all, I'm having a real hard time with this end of the school year. Last week was Carleigh's 6th grade choir pop show. She sang a solo, which I wanted her to sing for me beforehand, but she wouldn't. I just wanted to make sure she was comfortable with the track we downloaded and that she knew where the entrances were, etc. She would hear nothing of it. I was a little bit nervous. Oh.MY.GOODNESS.GRACIOUS!! Sister did not disappoint! She was amazing. She walked out on that stage and owned it! Sixth grade!!

Bad shot, but here Carleigh is with her choir teachers

Here's a couple of minute snippet from her song

Cora and Luke were playing outside the other day, and Cora broke out the hippety hop ball. I remember playing with those...so fun! Seeing the kids playing on them brought a smile to my face. 

Carleigh had her last dance class of the season this week. While she was there and Luke was at an end-of-the-year choir party, Cora and I ran a couple of errands, then stopped by the spray park for a little fun before Carleigh's class ended. She had a BALL!! She has such a sweet little spirit. She came over to where I was sitting and told me thank you for taking her there...warmed my heart!

Carleigh's dance recital was last weekend. I can't even tell you how beautiful she was. I'll have to post more on that later to give it justice, but here's a snippet...

oh my {heart}

Here are a couple of my favorite links from the week...

A great article from the Power of Moms about teaching our kids the importance of Memorial Day. I think Memorial Day is so important, and I am disappointed, to say the least, that our school district decided the holiday should be a bad weather make-up day. I'm looking forward to sharing with our kiddos the importance of Memorial Day.

The Power of Moms also recommended a summer learning program called Brain Chase that sounds totally up my kids' alley. I can't wait to check it out and order it.

A friend of mine sent me a link to the She Reads blog. I'm excited about reading this summer. My boy wants me to read Summer of the Monkeys to him, which completely thrills my soul. I LOVE that book. My fourth and fifth grade teachers read that book to our class, and it is one of my favorites. {heart} I'm finishing up the third book in the Mark of the Lion trilogy by Francine Rivers. Her books are so good. I love historical fiction, and these books send you right smack dab in the middle of the action. 

Y'all have a wonderful weekend!