Fall Fun

So, in keeping with the theme of being way behind, why not bring out some fond memories of beautiful fall weather, where we could go outside and run off energy instead of bouncing on the couch on my freshly folded clothes, a time where we didn't wake up to a snow dusted ground or trees covered in ice and a beautiful time in which I wouldn't be sitting at my computer in a sweatshirt and flannel dreading even walking to my car or the mailbox with my little heater running constantly on my feet. Get the idea? Fall is awesome. You can wear boots and eat soup and still go outside and enjoy the outdoors.  Winter, well, it sucks really. I know some people are weird and they like the cold, but not me. I. am. over. it. I do like the occasional real snow (which is RARE) and I do enjoy being lazy cozy in January and of course I love Christmas, but now that that is over so BRING ON SPRING! Or, in my case….Let's remember fall! I even forgot to post an entire beach trip and I just remembered! So maybe that will be next. The beach IN the fall…maybe the best combo!

And, we can't forget football season! Touchdown Bulldogs!!

This cutie has my heart!

Headed to Hazel's birthday party! I had to make my sweet boy a special cookie of his own…just because I love him so. And, the boy loves a cookie. 

This boy thinks he is big on the trampoline with the big kids at Hazel's party

The abbreviated version of Hazel's sweet 2nd birthday party! It was adorable! I love this sweet 2 year old girl so much!

Momma surviving a week without daddy.

This boy is completely obsessed with anything military related. So, it only made sense for him to have an army party, complete with an obstacle training course. His momma and daddy did a fantastic job on the obstacle course. The kids loved it! I don't have many pictures but it was great!

Me and my army guys…notice we have on our maroon for the "after party football party".

Happy 8 years Jonah! We love you SO very much! You are truly a one of a kind kiddo with a huge heart who loves life completely! Never a dull moment with this one! 

Does it get better than this? After party with all this food while the kiddos watch tv/play/nap and leave the grownups to some MS State Football. See, I miss fall. 

They did come out to celebrate the win and ring cowbells. They were pumped. Well, Jonah and Bishop were at least. You don't actually need to watch the game to be able to celebrate, right?

Boots, Leggings, and a dress on the only my favorite tiny patch of green grass in the front yard with freshly fallen leaves. The leaves look so pretty like this to me. This of course is before the 20+ oak trees lose all of their leaves and it rains and gets them all yucky and they pile up everywhere. But, they looked pretty then ;) I can't say the same now. 

Bishop's fall fun day at preschool 

Benny boy came to the fall fun day too. Bishop is so proud of his brother. It makes my heart want to burst to see the love they have for each other. Sure, they don't always get along. But, I also know in my heart there is nothing they wouldn't do for each other.

I could not ask for a better teacher than Ms. Nina. She loves these kids and they love her. We sure will miss her next year! 

Ben loves a ball!

Smoothie thieves 

I miss this a lot. 

My little pumpkin all ready for church

It's even warm enough to play football in swim shorts in the fall…well, for some people anyway! He certainly has a mind of his own and there isn't much changing it. He saw a puddle of water in the bottom of the wagon and decided he must get in it and he must wear his shark swimming shorts. 

A lot of our fall nights were spent at soccer games. I'm sure I'll post more about that at some point. But it was a fun, sometimes stressful, learning experience for us all. 

Pumpkin carving with daddy. I'm so glad his daddy does this sort of thing. I so wouldn't have the patience.

My clown boy. And I did not put that on him. 

A little sunshine and a walk in the park always does us good! Even if someone purposefully walks through the water/MUD just because. Yes, I let him. He loves exploring and pretending and it's just worth it to me to see his little imagine run wild. Shoes can be washed! He may not remember his nature walks with his momma one day, but I will. 

So there's a little slice of fall during this frigid spell of complete misery called winter. If nothing else, it reminded me that winter won't last forever :)

Halloween

Yes, I'm posting Halloween pictures right after my Ash Wednesday post. Makes perfect sense, right??

Last year I had the idea  saw on Pinterest the cutest football player and football and thought it would be perfect for my boys. Bishop already had the football player costume and a football onsie would be easy enough. But, Bishop didn't like the idea (it wasn't HIS) and so he wanted to be Peter Pan. He gets pretty opinionated about things and has already told me what he wants to be this year for Halloween so I was shocked when he said he wanted to be a football player this past year. I figured Ben was too big to be a football so who else could I think of…Bully! And, since Leon gets told my random strangers that he looks like Dan Mullin anyway, I convinced him to dress up. And I was going to be a referee but my sweet 4 year old would have none of it. "Girls aren't supposed to be referees, you have to be the cheerleader" So there I was…a cheerleader. Oh, what we do for our children! We even turned our "trunk or treat" into a football theme to go with our costumes.  We had football themed games and goodies.  It was a lot of fun for sure! Will be hard to be that creative again I think. And then on Halloween, we went to my sisters new house for our usual Halloween "party". We trick or treated a few houses in the cold, played some games, and had some good food! And, naturally towards the end of the party, Ally Kate got sick and we all left. It's always something, right?

Ben was obsessed with corn hole!

Bishop and his buddy will checking out their loot

My bulldog family

Halloween crafts

And, bobbing for apples. Such a simple thing, but they LOVED it. 

And, a failed attempted group of cousins photoshoot. It was freezing and they just wanted candy. The big kids were cooperating because they respond to bribery pretty well by this point…but the two littles, nope! They have a long ways to go :)

Ash Wednesday

So, I have lots and lots to post. Like, 6 months of stuff.  And, truly, I will get it done, at least the abbreviated version, IF my household ever gets well again. We have been through the crud, RSV, more crud, Strep and MORE CRUD. I just am ready for everyone to be normal, including myself. That's what happens when you make a remark like "we haven't really been all that sick this year". Oops. But, it could always be worse, and I am very thankful for my children and my family's health for the most part. We are just ready for spring!

But, that's not what I wanted to post today. I actually wanted to post on something that isn't my normal "here's my family and what we do" post. It's something that matters a lot more in reality. I've posted year after year that I just love Lent. It's a relatively new love that was found after joining the Methodist Church. After growing up in a Baptist church, I never really knew the meaning or why people "give up" things for Lent or why people wore ashes on their foreheads, although I honestly never saw much of that around here. But, I think its a very important season for so many reasons. I don't think you have to be Methodist, Cathothic, Presbyterian, or part of any specific denomination to understand the value in Lent. I think its a time to stop and reflect on what it truly means to be a Christian. To put it like I read in my bible study this morning, it is a sort of "Pause button".  I think that involves a deeper bible study, and perhaps "giving up" something that may get in the way of that focus. I think it's hard to truly celebrate Easter, if you don't adjust your focus a little. We studied a few weeks ago in Sunday school about fasting, and what struck me the most is how Jesus instructed us…he didn't say "IF you fast" he said "WHEN you fast, do it…"(Matthew 6:16) Fasting just isn't something we normally do. We are so comfortable in our lives that it's hard to give up anything at all. I know lots of people give up Facebook and other social media and I am going along with that as well this year.  I try not to stay on the computer or phone much when kids are around or at dinner for the most part, but it still happens sometimes.  It actually broke my heart a little this morning when Bishop and I were talking about Lent, Ash Wednesday, etc and I told him I was giving up Facebook and he said "Yay! You can play with me now!" I hate to think he thinks I'd rather be on the phone or computer than be with him. In my defense though, I usually don't play much because I am cleaning, cooking and doing laundry! But, he did have a valid point. I surely never want to be the mom at the park on the phone instead of being with my own children. I never want to be one of those families who go out to dinner (or stay in for dinner) and stay glued to their phones the whole time and never engage with each other.  But, I do feel like I spend more time than I should on my phone. It's part of our daily routine now. In fact, sometimes I get up in the mornings and check FB first thing or go to bed and check it right before bed. I mean, really, its slightly absurd. I don't' even care that much?!  I do love reading articles..there are some really good ones out there. But some things and some people are so opinionated over a screen that I just can't stand it. I'm usually left feeling like I need to do more. I need to cook more. My children should be more or do more. I should do more of this or more of that. Good moms don't do this or that. We shouldn't eat this.  You shouldn't wear certain clothes or read certain books or see certain movies. Everyone has an opinion on EVERYTHING. And, I do get it and I do think there should be opinions on things. I think though, we as Christians should stand up for what we believe in a loving way, that is just not how it tends to come across, Honestly, its all just exhausting. And, the truth is no one posts everything (WELL, some people do!) and we can't go judging ourselves based on what people post. We all know that there are trials in everyones lives, even if they don't say so publicly. Or at least I think so? So, that's the LONG version of why I'm giving it up, probably way more than you ever needed or cared to know! But there it is..my reason for giving up social media. To spend more time with my kids and to prepare my heart for Easter. It's going to be great…right?? I don't think Facebook is a bad thing, so don't take it that way. I just feel like I spend more time on there than I'd like and I just wanted to point out some of the negative things…but I don't think its all bad.  I'm going to miss keeping up with friends and family and I'm going to miss seeing sweet pictures of my friends and their children. I'll probably feel like I'm missing out, but I hope to gain so much more. And, I'm sure my husband will keep me informed if there is anything major I need to know or read about :) I have mentioned before my love for "She Reads Truth" and I have to say it is a wonderful bible study for women. It's available online and its FREE. There's even an app that makes it super easy. You may have to pay for the newer studies but I think it'll be worth the few dollars or you can just go to the website on your phone for free, which is what I usually do if I'm not on the computer.  And, the new Lent study starts today! You can order a study guide too if you want, and I think that would be a great idea but I've just done the online version. Being that I'm cheap and all :)

I'm also giving up sugar, but that's more of a healthy fast and obviously needs no huge explanation, especially if you know me.  I live off of sugar. I know its bad. But, alas, I am addicted to it. I did an advocare challenge (just the food part) with Leon last summer and honestly no sugar was SOO hard but I have never felt better! I just can't think of a better time to give it up and see what happens! Please wish me luck because it's only lunch and I feel like I might die if I don't get a sweet tea stat (and I rarely even drink it but it sounds wonderful right now, naturally) I even poured out the remainder of my jelly belly's to avoid the temptation this morning. Very sad. I did eat every last bit of my Valentine's chocolate last night…wouldn't want to be too wasteful!

Happy Ash Wednesday everyone!