Fall and Stuff

Fall is in the air. I love this time of year, my favorite. In so many ways Fall feels more like the beginning of a new year than the actual New Year does. There is so much to look forward to like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. All holidays I love. I love all the warm smells and colors. The smell of vanilla and pumpkin spices. This is also my favorite season to decorate the house, I love all the mini pumpkins and gourds. And of course the day after Thanksgiving decorating for Christmas. Just love it!

Soccer has started. The smell of fresh cut grass and heading out to the field on a Saturday morning is another favorite thing about Fall. Which if I may brag, Tay scored two goals her first game, the only two goals her team scored. That's my girl! I told her I would give her fifty cents for every goal she scored so today I had to pay up one whole dollar! I love that she loves the game...I really miss playing too. Maybe I will again one day:) The picture is Tay right after her first goal!

First grade is well under way. Taylor has adjusted amazingly well. I on the other hand have had a harder time. Last week I started my time in the class and that was helpful for me. I will be there each week during their library and music time. And then every other Monday in the class. I just miss her but her teacher I adore. Tay is having a blast too. I think her highlights so far is that she can climb up and almost do a flip on the bars, for which she now has bruises for. She is also making progress on the monkey bars, for which her hands are blistered. But like I told her they are trophies to show off her hard work:) This picture is the first day of school.

Today, Sunday, I had the day off. I love Sundays off. I need Sundays off. It is such great family time. Tommy and I stayed home from church to give him a good nap, so hard when church falls right at nap time for him. When Aaron and Taylor got home, my girl and I ran errands together. Exchanging a few items from school shopping that didn't work out. Then we hit the grocery store. It was timed perfectly for the Seahawk game being over, so we picked up the boys and headed to our local barn. It was wonderful. Fall was in the air. Warm but crisp outside. There are baby goats right now and the kids loved it. Okay, I do just as much. The babies were about the size of Tigger, our cat...and yes I wondered if I could take one home. Tommy gets so excited he runs from pin to pin and sits down right in front and calls the animals over. This is so cute to watch. However, we were a little too trusting of the Mama goat because she nibbled a little too hard on his finger! I looked over and Tommy's whole little hand was in her mouth! I reacted and ripped it out. My reaction caused his finger to scratch on her teeth. Poor little guy! We missed the hay ride but will for sure be back. I absolutely love that place. This picture is the kids with the baby goats.

We came home and I made a nice dinner and we got to sit together as a family at the table. I miss having dinner with the kids when I am working. I am realizing I need to make the best of my nights off...with school, soccer, work for us both, and other life things all happening I feel like we are establishing a routine and things will begin to fall into place...in the last two weeks we have had such overwhelming days! I gave the kids a bath, we splashed and laughed. This is another thing I miss while working. My husband wonderfully cleaned the kitchen to give me this quality time. Then Tay and I decided to bake cookies, one of our favorite things to do together is bake. While we were baking Aaron made us a fire in the fireplace. Fall is definitely here. Despite our 80 degree days, the mornings and evenings are cool and that marine layer is beginning to hang a little longer. So nice. This picture is from Saturday at the game. Yes he has a black eye. See all posts on his climbing obsession. The boy is non-stop go. His latest was trying to sit in the windowsill like Tigger.

Taylor and I have started a little routine of having weekend slumber parties. Aaron pulls the futon mattress out and we sleep out in the living room together. I think this is something we can do together to really have some quality time in the midst of my schedule. The nice thing is that I am off early on weekends, our town is still small town enough that stores close down early on the weekends:) Tonight we got to lay down in front of the fire and smell baked cookies, Fall is for sure here. Picture is from one of our slumber parties that was crashed by little brother long enough to enjoy some popcorn with chocolate chips.

Well...I know my blogs have been fewer and fewer. Being a working Mom is a challenge. I just have to say that Aaron has totally stepped up to the plate. He is wonderful with the kids and I know he takes care of everything so well. This allows me to really do my job when at work. Work is going good. I love what I do, I get to meet such great women. I have better days when I pray on my way to work and ask the Lord to be with my shift. I really felt overwhelmed with it all last week so I had to have a talk with God. I just laid it all on the line. I felt I needed to repent for working for the man and not working as if working for Him. We had it out. I asked for affirmation. Since that talk the biggest thing that has changed is my attitude. Work is tons better. I have a job where I get to tell women they are beautiful, I get to help work on the esteem of women. How freaking lucky am I? The hardest part is just missing the kids but I am so blessed to have the majority of the day with them. Picture is of my most handsome son and his Thomas the Train backpack...he loves to wear it:) His eyes disappear like Papa's when he smiles!

So I sat here to tell you all...whoever may read this...that Fall is in the air here and I shared a bit more. All the pictures are for the grandparents:) Enjoy!!! Are you loving Fall where you are? What is your favorite thing about Fall?