Really?!?! Here we are, well into Fall and I am looking back at the last time I blogged. But i'm not going there... not even going to say why I've been too busy to blog because it may or may not all be covered in this post. We have been busy every.single.Saturday.since.school.started! on the plus side, I am done coaching volleyball for another season... like that didn't take much of my time (joking). I'll try my best to recap all of our memories being made!
The first part of October marked our High School's Homecoming. The parade, the game, and Ted's pizza are all part of our yearly tradition. We had great weather and great friends!
We went to where we usually sit and ran into some friends of the boys'.
Buddies from 4K.
We met Lauren and Reese... and we were all rocking our new Mustang Gear.
Hudsen was ready for the parade
(and probably wishing his sister would stop pinching his cute cheeks)!
Jaxson, Tatum and Caz were there too!
Ready to catch some candy!
Creeping more and more out into the street.
After the parade, we went to Ted's Pizza and the kids got their own booth. This was a scary transition. I can just see in coming years they won't even want us with them!
After Ted's we went to the football game. Only for a bit though because we had to wake up bright and early for Day With The DOZERS!!!
We did this last year and the boys have been talking about it ever since. The parents joke that it should be named "Day of Waiting In Line for Your Kids to Ride the Dozers....
It was another beautiful day, but it started off chilly.
All proceeds go the the Children's Hospital.
Such a little person next to the HUGE equipment.
Not shy... no stranger danger here...
Waiting in line... long lines...
First was the excavators, then the bulldozers.
Feeling right at home with the construction workers.
If I only knew what story Aiden was telling Tatum!
Playing in the dirt, while the parents waited in line!
Then it was the big front loader.
The boys were in heaven.
What a fun day with great people!
It was so fun seeing these construction workers be so gentle and caring with the kids.
You could tell they loved showing the kids what they loved doing!
The Gang.
Tatum is going to either have a lot of "boyfriends" or have no boyfriends because these boys won't let it happen!!!
The boys didn't want to just ride in the dump truck... it had to be a articulating dump truck!
They got filled up by the excavator.
Lastly we tried the back hoe.
They were not shy taking control of the machines.
So great that these men volunteer their time!
The next week we were off to the cities on Friday night for a Team Wisconsin game. Blais played in Golden Valley, so we wanted to watch him play. Otherwise the closest he plays is Detroit, Chicago, and Madison!
The next morning, we had the Stout Golf Outing. Whew. Good thing that only happens once a year! Bloody Mary's starting at 9 and golfing until 5 was a loooooong day. We needed to stay hydrated with adult drinks.
Okay - we'll admit that after 9 holes we gave up and waited for the guys to be done. We may have had a little too much time on our hands, but it was FUN!
We WON though!!!
We were the winning all female team (and only all female team).
Great friends Brooke and Stef.
The next afternoon we went to a local Fall Festival and played some street hockey.
The boys saw their friend Myles there.
In August some friends and I decided to run a 10K. I didn't have as much time to train as I would have liked to, but we made a weekend of it anyway. It was a girls weekend as we ran the Women's Run the Cities. We went up on Saturday for lunch, some shopping supper, and ran the race on Sunday. We may have put on more miles shopping than in the race! I'm not sure what was more sore... my body or my checkbook ;)
After the race.
6.2 miles under our belt and feeling good!
Brooke, Karen, and I
The afternoon after the race, I was afraid to sit down and stop moving as I was not sure how my body would feel... so we went on a pontoon ride! One of the last of the summer.
Little Friends
Love them. Can't wait to watch them grow up together.
We did some dock fishing.
The next weekend, we joined some friends for a FALL cruise on Long Lake (Adam's dream home is on this lake). The fall colors were in peak and it was beautiful. A nice, but chilly day but a beautiful ride and great company for lunch at Prop's and a ride.
The boys love coloring right now.
Huddy is my Buddy. Love him!
This house was beautiful...
I should actually say this "guest" house is beautiful along side it's main house.
Amanda and Eva joined us.
Chilly - but Adam was in Heaven.
Smile Kiddos!
Adam was freaking out. Adam was nervous. Adam wanted me to take off the morning of school pictures so I could get the boys ready. Adam did just fine! The boys' pictures are cute!
4K
Speaking of school, they LOVE their "homework" and talking about school.
We had their first Parent Teacher Conference this past week and I was excited. I was excited to be attending conferences for the first time as a parent and not the one holding the conference. I was excited to hear how they have been doing, how they get a long, and what the teacher had to say.
They are doing great. They are good friends to all the kids, they are close in class but not so close that it worries the teacher. She sees them as great friends and not like brothers in the classroom.
Aiden knew 5 letter at the beginning of the year and now knows 6 (a little gain).
Ashton knew 11 letters and now knows 19 uppercase. Since he knew above 18 uppercase they tested his lowercase. He knew 22. Ashton is the kid with a steel trap memory and LOVES to do his alphabet puzzle that Gramma and Grampa got him for Christmas.
Last weekend we celebrated a very special 3 year old. The boys ask weekly to see Elle and Elise and we have been so busy, they couldn't wait until Elise's birthday party. Neither could I!
As soon as we showed up they went downstairs and dressed up as a french fry.
Such a cute cake!
Dance Party!
"Watch me whip, watch me nae nae...
Fast forward to middle school years... girls dancing and the boys sitting in back.
Twins!
We got Adam's dad this shirt for Christmas it it was so nice, Adam got one for himself.
Guess they need to coordinate better or call each other.
Present time for Elise! She had a eager audience.
Who's 3???
This Birthday Girl!
So cute.
Cake time!
Cousins.
(Sorry Aiden, it was a cute picture otherwise)
The many faces of a three year old...
Yummy cake and Ice Cream!
This is what happens when it is chilly out and you borrow gear from your cousins!
The next morning we went to Gramma and Grampa's hotel to swim.
They are getting more comfortable dunking under... we'll try for swimming lessons this next session if it is offered before 8 pm and not on the same nights as hockey ;)
Foam Face!
Friday night we went to Cubby's for pizza and had supper with Grandpa Rodney. We found out about a month ago that my dad has stage four throat and tonsil cancer with a possible spot in his lung. It has been tough to say the least. We have been in Rochester meeting with his team trying to figure out a treatment plan. Surgery is not an option, so we are going the Chemo and Radiation route. It will be a very difficult treatment for dad the next 7-10 weeks, but we are hoping to get him through this so he can enjoy his life again! I won't say too much more about the situation as he is a very private person and we are taking it day by day!
Me, Dad, and Nate.
Missing Elly as she couldn't make it to dinner.
Grandma Rodney and the Boys.
Love the smiles.
Yesterday we had a Hockey Day. We headed to the cities to watch Blais and Team Wisconsin play in Eagan in the morning. We then had Brigs come with us to run some errands, eat at Buffalo Wild Wings, and head to the Minnesota Wild game. It was a fun filled boy day. I say boy day because I was with some of my favorite boys and it was fun. Don't get me wrong - this girl can totally do hockey all day!
Brigs is like a older brother to the boys and he was picking on them like they were his younger brothers! I could/would totally raise three boys... but nope not having any more. ;)
We met Nordy at the game!
Ashton wasn't too sure of him.
Notice he is the farthest away and he was scared he would take his hat like last year ;)
For warm ups we went right by the ice...
I couldn't get a good shot of the boys' favorite - Parise.
One of their favorites - Dubnyk (the main goalie)
Ha - no clue who this dude was from the Anaheim Ducks but he was content just hanging out by Aiden!
I told Brigs to jump over and get a selfie with him but he wouldn't : )
Just hanging for the longest time. No smile, no wave, no nothing.
So fun just being in the atmosphere. The boys got into following the chants and cheering for the three goals the Wild scored!
Dumba scored the first goal. The boys like him.
Wild won 3-0
At intermission the Menomonie Mites played on the ice.
A little friend was interviewed!
Capping off our hockey day, after the Wild game we went back to Eagan to catch the last two periods of Blais's last game of the day.
I had my long lens on so this picture is blurry. The only pictures of him that I got...
Ashy is totally in to dressing up. He has been planning his Halloween costume since last year, and dressed up most every day in either his baseball uniform, the Packers uniform, his Darth Vader from last year or any super hero you can think of. I will be going to Walmart after Halloween and buying costumes on sale for his birthday and Christmas!
Yesterday on the way to the Wild game he was Batman and today while helping me with groceries he was Darth Vader.
He didn't want to wear his mask inside the store though because "he didn't want to scare people."
I think it is so cute that is is so into it and he doesn't care what he looks like.
He is perfect in that way!
If we could all just follow our love and have fun everyday. Don't worry about what others think!
I think that is it... I am sure I am missing some stuff and there are pictures in my email or on Adam's phone but I don't care. I want this post done. Onto the next! Maybe there will be another post this fall, or maybe the next one will be titled "Winter".
I got this one done after making a triple batch of soup to eat for supper and freeze for two more suppers, missing hockey practice today, and Adam taking the boys back to open skate so I can veg and type. ;)
Thanks for checking in!
Happy Halloween!
*I'll try for a post next weekend with costumes and pictures of our Halloween Party!
