These are the days!

My boys and our sweet neighbor friends singing the pre game national anthem before beginning to play football in the front yard.  Such fun! Fall makes my heart happy.

I can't explain it.  I just love this time of year. Everything about it makes me happy!  The smells, the colors, the cool weather... Happy.

These two are night and day different, but they get along so well.  I love them so much.

Watching college football...

We were too into the game to stop and take Jackaroo to bed!

School outside... It happens during fall because mama can't stand to miss out on the nice weather!

This little dog,"Sniffer," continues to hang around.  Now he has started sleeping on our doorstep.  How sweet!  If Erik would let me, I'd adopt you, little one!

One evening this week all the kids played on the swing set.  Every now and then it hits me that one day this wooden structure will stand empty and quiet, no children crawling over every inch of it.  I'm so thankful that this is not true today.  Our swing set is 10 years old and going strong!  It gets so much playtime. It is beginning to look a bit worn.  I love it.  My big boys still play like kids.  I don't know what I'll do when they quit!?!?!  I will miss these days!

Climbing trees...

I love fall so much, but I'm really trying to take in all the GREEN!  I know that in less than two months the leaves will all be gone.  The green is so lush and pretty, but it is slowly turning right before our eyes!  One season bleeding into the next. Might as well sit back and enjoy the change!

Photo bomb!

She has my heart.  There aren't words.

Leaves scattered on the pond means fall is on its way.  Our home, our little neck of the woods, it means so much to me.  The tall trees, the pond, the land for boys to run and play.  I am always grateful for our little piece of land, but during the fall months it overwhelms me.

Playing in the Evening Light

This is just simply my favorite.  That is all there is to say.

Butterflies...

We watched caterpillars turn into butterflies again this fall.  The kids always enjoy this so much!!

I actually was able to get video footage of one of the butterflies emerging.  I was putting a band aid on a child and just happened to notice it happening.  Loved it!

We had sweet friends over the night of the butterfly release party, so they got to be a part of it!  That is always fun!

Zekey!!

People always ask me what Zeke does while we do school.  He is my only child not doing some sort of school this year.  He is just there with us.  When I do crafts with Jack and Emery, I give him something so he feels like he is a part of what we are doing ~ even if he really doesn't have the fine motor skills to do the craft yet.  We have fun with Zekey!

He really is just there.  Sometimes he totally interrupts, and it is difficult.  But, most of the time, he just plays at our feet or at the table with us.  We love having Zekey in our day!

A Post Full of Happy!

Life lately has been so gentle and sweet.  I feel like we are moving at a good pace for our family.  I can keep up.  I am able to think of and follow through with some fun things for the kids and myself.  And, fall is around the corner! So, much to be thankful for!! This post is a hodge podge of the last few months.  So, many sweet moments!

This is Sniffer.  We didn't choose him.  He chose us.  He won't leave, so I guess he is kind of ours??

This little guy is growing up so fast!!  Such a happy little fella!

Hearts are my thing.  I've drawn hearts by my name since high school.  I've always loved hearts in decorating, jewelry, etc.  A sweet young mama from our church that I love surprised me with this in my mailbox this week.  I love it soooo much!!!  My new favorite!

Don't you love finding photos like the one above on your phone?  It makes me so happy!

Erik killed a snake the other day! EEEEKKKK! Note the head is in the shovel.

I could not possibly love her more.  It is not possible.

Some of the best friends a family could ask for....

You can't really see it, but my kids were playing at the neighbors house on the hill in the distance.  I was overwhelmed at the blessing of it all and had to take a picture.  Children running and playing wild and free and beauty everywhere.  Grateful.

A yard full of happy makes my heart overflow...

James's newest hobby.  It makes him so happy.  Finish school.  Go fishing.  It's really that simple.

Educational movie time!

My little Michaelangelos!!  I love teaching art and then setting them free to create!

My baby isn't looking so much like a baby anymore! Yikes!!

The younger three really have a blast together on school days.  Zeke can hang with them pretty well, and they love him!

I was making dinner, and my older boys surprised me by bathing my younger three!  They are so helpful and so fun!  The littles love their big brothers!!

Nutella!!!!

A sweet friend teaching me to can grape jelly!

A surprise Labor Day midday rain shower!  It came out of nowhere, rained hard for about 20 minutes, and the sun never quit shining!

These two melt me over and over...  I wouldn't have planned to have children 11 months apart, but it has been such a joy!

Stealing a kiss!

He loves Pop best of all!!

Slight Overreaction...

I'm a little dramatic.  Well, maybe it is more that I just like to be prepared, overly, prepared.  So, a few years ago I noticed this spot on the bottom of my foot while bathing.  I thought it odd ~ like a stain that I couldn't wash away.  I never thought of it as a mole.  I watched it, noticing it here and there over the past few years.  And, then one day a few weeks ago, I showed it to Erik who looked at it and said it was a mole and had asymmetry. He wanted our dermatologist to look at it.  That was a week before my appointment.  And, in the space of that week, I planned my funeral and what my family's life would look like without me. Seriously. I was convinced that I would be diagnosed with melanoma, and I was so upset with myself for knowing about this silly spot for literally years and not doing anything about it!!!

Erik, so sweetly, went with me to my appointment because he knew how nervous I was. And, as we sat in the waiting room, one of my best friends came to sit with me, too!  Such a sweet surprise to see her sweet face peek in the waiting room door!!

Long story short.  All was fine.

We went out to eat, and then went home and played outside with our children.  It hit me as I walked Emery, Jack, and Zeke down to the swing set.  A slight breeze, beautiful evening light, and I took a long deep breath.  I felt my lungs fill and release, and my eyes filled with tears of relief. I had so prepared myself for the worst that I hadn't really considered that it might be nothing and I might get to go on as normal.  So, in that moment it hit me that I still might get to see my children graduate and marry.  I still might get to grow old with my love.  And, I was overwhelmed.  The trees looked more green, the air more crisp and clean, the sky was orange and red and beautiful.  I felt alive, and it felt so good. I was literally filled with gratitude for every little thing.

I want to live like that every moment of every day...

Aware of the blessing that is being here with the ones I love.

I want to laugh more. Relax more. Worry less. Trust more. Get frazzled and frustrated less. Love more.  Love deeply. Life is rich and beautiful and, oh, so blessed. I'm so thankful. I cannot even speak it.

Preschool

This year I have a three year old and a four year old.  I debated sending them to a half day preschool, so that I could really focus on the older kids.  But, I was torn because I LOVE PRESCHOOL!!!  I love the kindergarten/preschool age to teach! I love the fun and the crafts and the food and everything!  So, in the end, I ordered a curriculum based on literature and off we went!  I am so thankful that I did it!  We have had a blast so far this year!  They love it. I love it.  Win-win!!  And, believe it or not, it is working out easily to teach them as well as everyone else!  So far this is one of my favorite homeschool years ever!  Here are a few shots I've taken over the last month...

We made applesauce for the letter "A" week.  I used Pioneer Woman's recipe, and it was divine!!!!  So, good!  We made a ton and ate it all up!!

I'm really going to make an attempt to record more of what we are doing here!  This is my scrapbook! I've got to use it!!