Girlfriends + Vegas

At the end of September I went on a fun girls weekend with friends from Ohio! It was so fun to travel and have some freedom, but the best part was being with friends that know you so well! Here's a quick peek at our 48 hours of freedom:

I left on a Thursday night after a full day of caring for kids, taking 4 kids to dentist appointments and 2 soccer practices. I was very happy to learn I was seated in the exit row and there was an empty seat beside me! We all arrived late in the evening on Thursday so after a few hours of chatting we all slept through the night (well my eastern time zone friends woke up in the middle of the night)!

The next morning we headed to the strip for a day of exploring. This was the closest we came to gambling...a picture in front of a slot machine.

Look at this beautiful floral display at the Bellagio...I think that's where it was.

We did a lot of walking and talking.

It was a beautiful day and we ate on the patio of a fun french restaurant in the Paris district. We kept commenting how it was fun to eat out, but even better that we didn't have to cook...between the 4 of us there are 14 kids, so we all do a bit of cooking ;)

After our day on the strip we headed back to the hotel and went for a swim. Then we visited a local pub for dinner.

The next morning we decided we had enough of the city and decided to visit the Grand Canyon. It was a 4-5 hour trek, but we talked the whole time so it flew by.  We also didn't have to stop for potty breaks, answer 5 bazillion questions, or hand toys and snacks to anyone ;)

One reason we planned the trip for the end of September was Evy would be one and she would be weaned...well that hadn't quite happened and I made the dumb move of not bringing a pump...so I had some "mild" discomfort during the trip.

A few of the girls had never been to the Grand Canyon and I hadn't been in years so it was a great experience!

We visited a few of the lookout points then we did a 3 mile hike that was just enough adventure for us! We ate dinner at one of the lodges in the state park and we met 2 German students traveling around the U.S. We asked them to join us for dinner and it was so fun to chat with them about their lives and adventures. It reminded me of my time traveling in college! It was so fun!

We didn't make it home until late in the evening and we were tired so we called it a night.

On Sunday we visited the Hoover dam, which I had never seen. It is quite the architectural masterpiece to say the least!

After the dam we went to Babycakes for brunch and I had some amazing pancakes. Then Tricia gave us a tour of her old stomping grounds in Vegas. It was sweet to see where she used to live.

Then I had to head back to the airport and back to reality. It was such a refreshing time to see friends, catch up on their lives and have a break. I'm so thankful for Kyle and Sheila taking over the kid responsibilities so I could go.

FYI: we were there the weekend before the Vegas shooting tragedy, so we were never in harms way.

Craft Lover

Nora has always been our out-of-the-box thinker. She can look at a piece of trash and see how it can be repurposed and made beautiful! Literally, everyday she will stop me from throwing something in the trash in the name of crafting. I want to cultivate and encourage her creativity!

For her birthday she received the perfect first sewing machine. It has no thread and it only sews felt but it's perfect for a beginner because you can work on patterning, cutting, pinning while still getting a finished product pretty quickly (which is great for young ones with little patience).

After completing some of the projects provided with the machine (pillow, purse, frame, etc.) she began creating her own designs.

Nora created both of these purses by herself. I was so impressed that she patterned, cut, pieced them together and then sewed them. The purse on the left even has 2 different pieces put together. She was so proud of her creations! Maybe now she can start working on her designs instead of always asking Mommy to make her creations ;)

iPhone Unload {September 2017}

Pictures (top to bottom, L to R): peek-a-boo with a pot; our Evy apple; Nora made the house happy sticks (just like she has at school and if we get 7 she will give us gum ;); my baby being swung by my other baby; Evy insists on feeding herself; just being all cute playing in a drawer; sleeping in Mommy's arms...trying to cherish the little moments; hugs from Evy; Kolter being his cute self; "reading" the Bible...it was actually Daddy's strategic thinking book; big carrying little; we're serious about game day at our house; Kolter riding on Mommy's neck?; just a regular trip to Target with Spiderman and cowboy boots on the wrong feet ;)

Cowboy Kolter

My little cowboy out for a walk in the neighborhood.

Football Fun {September 2017}

This season I'm going to do monthly football updates. Here's a look into the beginning of the season. Spoiler alert...it's been pleasant surprise!

Before the first game we had to get outfitted in our SNU Storm gear.

My little lighting bolts ready for the game...Mommy tries to get in the picture and silliness ensues.

The first game the Storm took on Southeastern Oklahoma State. It was an ugly, terrible, no good game. The final score was 0-58. While the game was not good the weather was wonderful and the kids had fun playing with their friends. Evy got to experience her first game "on the grass."

Game #2 was in Ada, OK where the Storm took on East Central University. After a busy week I was on the fence about attending this away game, but I knew Kyle would appreciate the support. So, I loaded the kids in the car and headed to Ada. Again, it was a beautiful evening game. Evy experienced her first "bleacher game."

It was a back and forth game. With just over 4 minutes left in the game East Central took a 4 point lead. But the offense marched down the field and scored a touchdown with just 19 seconds remaining and the Storm won 33-30! Marking the first time SNU has been .500 (1-1) since joining NCAA Div. II and the first time they have beat East Central!

This is a clip of the teams reaction!

Our first family selfie of the season after the 1st win!

Game #3 was against Harding University in Arkansas. Needless to say we watched this night game in the comfort of our bed and pj's. The kids watched with me for about 15 minutes ;)

SNU was behind the whole game, but they kept it pretty close. Most, including myself, had given up on the game. With just under 2 minutes to play the Storm were down by 13. The offense drove down the field and scored a touchdown, recovered an onside kick, and scored another touchdown to win! It was the most nerve-wracking, exciting, unbelievable final minutes I've ever seen! The Storm won again and demonstrated their fighting, never quitting attitude!

Game #4 was at home, but I was out of town and unable to watch the game. It was probably a good one to miss as SNU was defeated at home by Arkansas Tech 0-52.

Game #5 was on the final day of September and the Storm took on Henderson State in another long away game (i.e. Arkansas). We didn't travel, but we did watch! The Storm took the early lead and led most of the game! It was the first win of the season that didn't almost give me a heart attack. Given the game statistics it wasn't a surprise to win, but based on history it was a shocking win. In years past Henderson would defeat SNU by 70 or more points, so to beat them handedly was a welcome surprise and you have to imagine their team was SHOCKED!

After the 1st month of football the SNU Storm are 3-2 and we couldn't be more excited about their progress and hard work! We can't wait to see what the next month brings!