Fall Vibes (plus Christmas teasing)

Friends, it has FINALLY happened. The temperature has dropped, cue the Christmas music and crockpot meals. But seriously, Michael Buble' is crooning "I'll be Home for Christmas" right now and chili is simmering. We love this time of year around our house.

{scarf, yes please}

Red cups have made their appearance at Starbucks and it's the only time of year I stray from my beloved black coffee. Triple tall with whip, no nutmeg eggnog latte, delish.  

I've ordered the kid's Christmas jammie's they get to open on Thanksgiving and my itch to cook and bake is overwhelming. While my Sammy snuggled with popcorn midmorning, I pieced together enough ingredients to bake chocolate chip cookies, and my other two learned how to multiply two digit numbers at the breakfast bar. 

Don't be deceived all this coziness isn't absent of bickering, spills and messes. We keep it pretty real over here, even so I'm thankful for these morning of togetherness. The learning and the growing, the challenges and the creativity all woven together strengthening the fabric of our family. 

Fall has arrived, Christmas is around the corner and right now, in this moment, we are good.

Thankful

We are four days into my most favorite month of the year. Since we last "spoke", my boy has turned seven, Drake and I went to Cabo, we celebrated Halloween and there's been thousands of "I can't believe this is my life" moments both good and bad.

Honestly, this has been a tough year. We have learned firsthand that sad things happen. In the midst though God continues to prove that He is faithful and that in every hard thing there is an opportunity to draw us closer to Him and closer to each other. While there has been hurt there has also been immense joy and much to be thankful for.

 {backyard picnics on homeschooling days}

 {God's artwork}

 {coffee mornings with my shadow}

 {salted caramel sundae}

{disney with grandma: my most favorite lady ever}

 {this boy}

 {time away with my honey}

 {poolside champagne and great friends}

{nobody puts baby in a corner}

 {our favorite restaurant, EVER}

{pumpkin carving}

 {best daddy}

 {matt kemp, minnie the witch and wonder woman}

 {happy halloween}

{strong coffee + matching nightgowns}

Each of these photos could be there own blog post, there's so much behind all of them. I mean that salted caramel sundae...mom and I decided to split it, I think after one bite we both were wishing we got our own. My sweet boy who I blinked and now he is seven, SEVEN!!! Don't even get me started on Drake and I thinking we could reenact that Dirty Dancing move in a pool. I am so thankful for all the memories behind all these photos and the people that share them with me.

We have been having a lot of dialogue in our family about those who are less fortunate than us. Doing our best to explain that God loves us all even though our circumstances are different than other's. It can be just as difficult to wrap your brain around that at 32 let alone 4. "Why doesn't God give them a house like us?" when she sees the mom and her daughter asking for money outside of Target. These are hard questions. "Sammy, I don't know, but that doesn't mean that God loves them less." 

I am approaching this holiday season being thankful for a God that has the answers when I don't and trusting Him. I am practicing living in contentment in hopes that our children will glean from it. Happy November friends.

Balancing Act

It has finally cooled off some. If given the choice I would have curled up in this spot all weekend. I treated myself to a new book on my last trip to Target and the temptation to cancel all plans, make a pot of coffee and let the kids run amuck while I read was enticing. However, there was a best friend to celebrate, soccer games to attend and a sweet sixteen party to get dolled up for.

Our weekend in a nutshell...

{cat ear headband to accessorize her outfit for school}

{spoooooky}

{surprise!! dessert+vino for Amanda's 27th}

{love these girls}

 {sideline snuggles with grandma}

 {happy sweet 16 Lani Rose}

{pre-church monopoly}

 {fall tradition at grandma's}

The weekend was full. While that helps pass the time while Drake is away, downtime is what rejuvenates our bodies and minds. The Lord most have known we needed a slow day because Sammy woke up with a fever early this morning. I am praying it's just a fever and passes soon. In the meantime, soup is simmering, laundry is going and daddy is somewhere between here and Wisconsin. We can't wait to see him tonight!

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Confession of a Teenage Dork

Drake is gone this week. It has become custom that when he is gone for a decent length of time I do some sort of home project to pass the time. This week it was painting the family room. What is a paint job without some good tunes to rock out to? Wait for it...

Oh yeah!! I created a pandora station that plays Whitney, Mariah and Celine. It mixes in a little Luther Vandross and Boyz II Men. This was my adolescence. If I wasn't babysitting on a Friday night or on my one "Drake Event" for the week (I was only allowed to see him once a week to avoid us becoming "too familiar" with one another) you could find me in my bedroom listening to KyXy 96.5 and trying to perfect the art of tiny butterfly clips in my hair. Every night it was love songs with Yvonne Carlin and let me tell ya' it was my jam. Yep, I was that cool. 

Sarah and I realized we were soul mates when she admitted to eating taquitos in her car and listening to our gal Yvonne. While it was more than our mutual love for Bryan Adams and Eric Clapton that bonded us, it was a good start. I can sing every late 80's early 90's love song word for word. My saving grace in high school was that I wasn't too awkward looking (all though some of the outfit choices were highly questionable).

On one hand I can count the number of Friday night football games I attended at my own high school, same could be said for pep rally's and other school functions. My senior year I organized my schedule so that I was done every day by noon. I didn't need to be involved, I didn't need to fit in. While I had friends, Drake and my mom were my best friends. I know the Lord had His hand on me. His grace allowed me to be very comfortable with who I was and I was protected from so much.

I am fourteen years removed from high school and while my life circumstance have changed dramatically I'm still as dorky as I was back then, inclined to the same things. Reading mystery books, watching corny shows on Netflix and listening to cheesy love songs. I have my close friends. I have my family. And of course, I have my sanguine husband who prevents me from being a total recluse. I don't have to be besties with all the mom's on the soccer team or be invited to girl's wine nights. I have to force myself to arrange playdates for the kids.

All this to say I sometimes feel like modern day adulthood has become a continuation of adolescence. With the onset of social media we are constantly bombarding our selves with what other's are doing and what we are not.  What the cool mom's are doing and where we are falling short. While our family does do fun things and Drake's job allows us great opportunities, he is gone a lot and it's mostly the kids and I at home. Uninvolved and unaware. Yes, I still rock out to love songs, but the benefit of not being 15 anymore is that I'm not confined to my bedroom with my Emerson boom box and my Drake events don't have to end at 10pm (wink). 

A few photos from our week:

{minnie shoes+cabbage patch doll}

 {easier than actually exercising}

{from the wedding in palm spring: we got caught}

{just keep painting, just keep painting}

{final product}

{cheesy netflix obsession: Hart of Dixie}

{how do you know Drake is gone? Fresh flowers in the bathroom}

{Wednesday, 5:05 pm. no kids, no husband}

Anyone else have a dorky teenage confession?? I'd love to hear...

P.S. If you're craving a little Total Eclipse of the Heart the 80's Pop Love Songs station on Pandora is where it's at. I promise you won't be disappointed. Happy Weekend!!

Fall Adventures

Don't be deceived by the cloud covering, it was a brisk 81 degrees with 45% humidity the day we hit up the pumpkin patch. Nonetheless, we still had fun.

Pumpkin patches have really stepped up their game since I was a kid, think carnival but with pumpkins. Rides, games, snacks, did I mention we didn't even buy a single pumpkin?

{remember Tom Hanks in You've Got Mail on the tiny train: Trent Kellas}

 {Lucy Boo loved the miniature carousel}

 {girl train}

 {buddy Luke in the caboose}

 {sister slide}

 {let the wild rumpus start!}

{besties for life}

The following night Juliana had swimming and so to kill time in between I told Trent and Samantha we were going on a fall adventure. We brought a blanket in the car, they snuggled together and I  turned up the AC as cold as possible. We drove along the coast, we could smell campfires. We pretended that the air outside was so cool we could see our breath and we talked about how beautiful trees are when God turns them from green to golden reds and oranges. We drove thru Starbucks and got hot cocoa. Maybe in the next couple of weeks it will cool down and maybe it won't, but at least we have cold AC in the car and our imaginations :-)