Life Lately - Fall Fun

Monday

I love when they bring artwork home - "I love my family.  I have a dog.  She is white.  I love my brother"

Tuesday 

Planning our costumes for this year and Ella decides to try on Caleb's costume from last year. 

Monday and Tuesday night Caleb and Corey spent at the batting cages. 

Ella and her friend Mason - her teacher says she is so sweet with him and helps him so much! 

Wednesday

Starbucks after school with my girl

Thursday

Little sisters at the ball game 

Putting on make up while the boys play ball

Caleb got on base and got his first run!

Friday 

Hat Day at school - Caleb wanted to wear one of his granddaddy's hats

Caleb with his class on Hat Day

I volunteered ALL day and night at New Hope for the Fall Festival

I did take a break to have lunch with Claire for her birthday since we would miss her party! 

Thankful for this friend! 

New Hope Fall Festival - wristbands on and they are ready! 

Caleb found his buddy Govin and played all night 

Ella and Catherine enjoyed playing together too!

Laser Tag 

Cake Walk 

Fair Rides 

This girl enjoyed her cotton candy 

Sliding 

Rides with Catherine 

Caleb and Nathan 

Bingo Time 

Caleb was concentrating 

Sliding with her friends Riley and Keely

Saturday

Date Night with church friends 

Thankful for the men and women who babysat at church for us so we could have a night out! 

I also joined Claire's party for a while at Jac's 

Smores after dinner 

The kids enjoyed the fire pit and we enjoyed the company!

Sunday

We decided after church to head to the fair! 

We arrived - after a lot of traffic and sitting still

We had a hike to get to the fair so we stopped for a cold drink as soon as we could 

Checking out the animals 

Seeing the baby chicks that had just hatched 

The BIG pumpkins 

Pettibg a rabbit (like we don't have one of these at home!) 

Playing on the tractor

Fun times with these girls 

Josh went with us and Corey and Craw were supposed to meet us 

They changed their minds due to the crowds and played golf instead! 

On the tractor 

These two got some kettle corn 

Ella wanted to take a picture with the lady in stilts but there was a line so we did it from a far 

Ice Cream - it was warm outside! 

Checking out the police car 

Asking questions

Grape Slushie 

Caleb liked the big fidget spinner 

Peanuts 

We caught a glimpse of Greg Fishel in the WRAL booth 

The 150th State Fair 

Playing some carnival games before we left 

Trying to win but we weren't successful! 

Love love love this picture! 

With the big farris wheel  

Trying to get out after a fun but tiring afternoon 

The whole crew at the fair!

What Really Matters

This week has just been a bad, sad emotional week. I feel like I have been overly sensitive and gotten my feelings hurt more than I normally would.

Caleb has been making some careless errors at school and brought a few bad grades home. I of course want him to make good grades!  Caleb started playing baseball for the first time and def isn't the best player on the team. I of course want him to be confident in the sport he chooses and get a hit. While good grades and being athletic are good, I am most proud that when I had conference with his teacher she said before we start talking about grades I just want to talk about your sweet Caleb and how kind he is, a kindness you don't normally see. He is kind to everyone and always willing to help anyone. Now that is what really matters!  That is what makes me proud!

We had a similar week with Ella where I thought school was going great and she was bringing home all good grades but when they tested her reading, she was a little behind where she should be. She is also doing tumbling again after a break last year and is a little behind her peers. I want her to be an awesome reader and I want her to be great at tumbling. Then I get a text from her teacher this week telling me how sweet and helpful she is with an Austic child. She reads to him and is always trying to help him. That's what really matters!  She also went to tumbling this week and a little girl in her class couldn't do a cartwheel and she gets in the car and tells me about it and says "mommy I felt bad for her so I said encouraging words to her even when others laughed". That is what really matters!  That is what makes me proud!

I say this not to brag on my kids. I say this to say that sometimes I focus on the things that don't matter as much (like good grades and being athletic) instead of focusing on what really matters - their hearts. I am thankful for the reminder and pray that instead of being the best at everything that they are kind, caring, humble, and love Jesus!  That's all as a parent I really want for my kids!

Life Lately - Corey's Bday and Homecoming

Monday

Caleb's 1st Baseball Game 

Such a handsome ball player 

Baseball buddies

Tuesday 

We got a package of apples from the mountains - kids loved it! 

Night #2 on the baseball field 

Mammy and Nina came to watch and ate dinner with us!

Wednesday 

Stylin for school 

Ella wanted ice cream after school - so we did her homework in Cupcake Dream 

Pelicans with the Hutchens and Harrells after church

Thursday 

Its been a stressful week - and riding bikes with this boys was so relaxing! 

Both excited after school - Caleb won the box top award and Ella got a little doll from the treasure chest 

Family Dinner at La Rancherita 

The boy is loving Sudoku puzzles

Saturday 

My little cooks ready to help me bake a cheesecake 

Their favorite part 

Getting ready for Corey's birthday 

Yay - the cheesecake was ready! 

Target Run with Mammy

Caleb and Winfield 

Cookout for Corey's Birthday - burger bar and cheesecake

The little girls table 

Ready to Party 

Loving on baby Carter 

Some of the Taylor Crew 

Present Time 

The kids were more excited than Corey - he got a fire pit!

The kids wanted to get him 36 trick candles 

Trying to get them all lit 

Whoa - looks like someone is getting old! 

Trying to get them all out before the cake melted 

Thankful for these friends and family who helped us celebrate Corey's 36th Birthday 

Sweet boys 

You know you are tired when you fall asleep in the play room when other people are playing around you - can you find Ella? 

Sunday

This boy and his fidget spinners 

It was Homecoming - enjoying a delicious meal! 

It was a rainy, messy day so we set the inflatables up inside and let the birthday boy go first 

These two have become fast friends - so glad the Harrells are now coming to our church. 

Mammy wanted a turn at the slide too

Emmalyn was my buddy when she realized I would take her sliding - Noelle was too! 

Corey trying to slide with boys girls 

Some of the kids at the end of the slide - hate we didn't get one before people started leaving! 

Hanging out while the kids played 

These two - supposed to be cleaning up :) 

Little Mama Ella with her two little friends 

It was Pelicans Last Day of the season so the kids wanted to go - and it was raining but they didn't care 

Playing in the rain and snowcones = fun day for these kids 

That night it was Pajama night at Awanas 

We worked out and did a little shopping while the kids were busy 

Ella earned her vest and bag.