Family Fun Night: September

another one of our goals from our marriage retreat

was to have a family fun night once a month.

it doesn't have to be anything big (or expensive!)

but something we could do together

as a family that is different

than our normal routine of life

so friday night we

headed downtown

to a new park on main street

it was a great place to go!

we got dinner and ate it out by the fountains

the kids loved playing in the water

it was nice because it wasn't deep at all

perfect to splash around in :)

jordan was trying to teach the boys how to play

a game

there is also a really modern playground

in this area

i love this pic of duncan with the downtown buildings behind him

don't you love campbell's outfit?

so so cute!

we had a great time

i am enjoying trying to be intentional and making memories with my sweet family!

Change of Season: Fall

one of the goals jordan and i made on our vision retreat -

was to celebrate the seasons and the changing of seasons.

we wanted to teach our kids that there are different

season's in life for different things.

for example - summer - it is a time of more play,

less work, later bedtimes, etc

but now we are transitioning to fall.

(i know it is not actually fall - but the "season" is fall, back to school time)

so we decided to have some activities that represented the season and teach

our kids what the fall season looks like for us

(more structure, earlier bedtime, school, hard work, fuller schedule, etc)

our theme for the fall/change of season was APPLES

we chose a couple of activities that had to do with apples

to teach them about the transition

yes, we did apple bobbing ;-)

(jordan's idea)

the kids LOVED it

however - we discovered - this is alot harder than we thought

so we threw some clementines into the mix

(and jordan was the only successful "bobber")

the kids LOVED having a special night

and I was so glad to see how easy it was for us

yet meant a lot to the kids

we made a baked apple recipe

(super easy and just cooked in the microwave)

while we made an apple art craft

for this i just cut an apple in two

and had the kids paint with it

how much easier could it be?

i am not that crafty of a mom,

so i know all of you school teachers and crafty moms are thinking -

come on christy - really - this is stuff we do everyday with our kids :)

i don't - so that is what made this special :)

all in all -

i would say it was a really successful

change of season night!

i am excited about doing it again during the winter!

if you have good ideas for me then - let me know!

soccer

jayden has his first soccer practice tomorrow

we were outside this morning practicing

of course mr. duncan had to join us

he does whatever big brother does

and little miss thinks she can play soccer too

jordan thinks she could be good at it, considering she has two older brothers

she might be one tough little cookie - which would help her in the game :-)

after practicing for awhile

ek, molly, and amy came over

popsicles were consummed

and all was well

happy wednesday

Baylor game

as most of you know,

Baylor had its first game on friday night.

sic 'em bears :)

we beat TCU in an amazing game!

even though i was deep asleep when the actual game was over, i had to work the next day and get kids in bed :-)

we headed over to blake & amy's to watch the game

it was fun because the whole gang was there

we sported everyone in their baylor gear so that is always fun too!

i got to hold sweet hallie

the kids have so much energy together

(and uncle jason helps stir up any energy they have to the next level)

i mean, how cute is she?

watching the game

this little miss is officially a walker

sic 'em bears!

i am excited about a fun football season!

(Guest Post) Retired: Lessons Learned from a Decade of Socks

Retired: Lessons learned from a decade of socks

Though the original owner of these socks is debatable, the longevity and consistency of said socks is unquestionable. Whenever they were called on for duty, they were a faithful pair.

And there are lessons we can learn from this faithful pair.

1a.. That they were a pair and remained a pair. In a day and age where it is becoming increasingly acceptable to part ways with one's covenant mate, they resisted the spirit of the age and went against the grain. Though they did most of their activities together, there were times when they were separated due to certain washing conditions or various and sundry kid-nabbings. When they caught sight of younger, less worn socks - they remained faithful to one another to the end.

1b. Community commitment. They did not isolate themselves when one was turned inside out. They did not grumble and complain when one was given the right foot of fellowship. They were in it for the team - and understood that though neither was indispensable, it took both of them playing their role for organizational success.

2. At the same time, they never 'paired off' from the rest of the community. While it is true that there were stretches of life where they camped in the gym bag away from the others, that was during times of training. They could re-assimilate themselves with the best of them. They treated the single socks the same as the paired socks - showing no favoritism to either stage of life.

3. Persevering under trials. They did not let disappointment deter their resolve. Though certain training runs and races were unable to be completed because of user error, they always got back on the horse the next go round.

4. Ready in season and out. Evening, morning or noon. Winter, summer, spring, fall. Short run, long run, sprint work, cross train. They were a sock (pl) for all seasons.

5. Through thick and thin. They stuck with me through the thick and thin. Though their fabric is thinner in their older age, they never wore out in the traditional running sock spot: the achilles. They were in no way the traditional achilles heel.

6. Mortality. Though it appeared that these socks might challenge the known limits of sock-life, they too faced what all socks will face - the realization that they too will wear out and face the reality of their own liminality.

7. Identity. They may become part of a quilt, a bean bag or may play the part of a puppet - but that is not their identity. They knew who they were and why they were created - therefore they were able to serve their purpose in their generation.

As they are laid to rest today, I can safely say: well done, good and faithful socks.

How We . . . Deliver Meals to Families

I thought it was time for another How We Do It Post :)

I decided to do one after I realized the craziness of what i decided to do yesterday.

So here it goes!

We have had a lot of people in our church and community who have had babies recently.

Such a blessing and I love that there are so many new little ones in our midst.

For the people at our church we set up a care calendar to organize meals for the first month or two when the baby comes (or foster children in some cases :))

This is a great, easy, user friendly calendar to use..

So I decided that I would sign up to bring a meal for all of the people on the same day.

It took a little investigating to see what days were available for each couple,

but i did it and found a day that would work with their calendar and mine.

I technically signed up on 4 calendars, and I brought a meal to one other family who wasn't on a calendar system.

that equals 5 families + our family to prepare dinner for on wednesday

So here is the How WE:

1. Sign up for all of the meals that you can on the same day

it seems crazy - but it is A LOT easier

if you are going to make one meal, you might as well make a lot. if not you would have to schedule multiple days of making multiple meals and for me - doing it all on one day was WAY EASIER.

2. Do anything you can do beforehand.

i made banana bread the day before and i cooked my chicken in the crock pot the day(s) before and shredded it and just kept it in the fridge

3. Devote the entire morning to making your meals.

for me this was KEY

i usually like to go out and do something with the kids but not on this day

we stayed at home

and ate lollypops as you can see :)

4. make the dinner

i had all the prep work done ahead of time and then

i put the casserole's together one right after another

it worked great and went really fast

(i was making chicken spaghetti - SO YUMMY and EASY)

5. put your kids down for early naps so they can be ready to

hit the road around 3:30

(at least that was my plan -

i didn't cook the dinner but had it ready to be baked in their own oven,

this saved on time and also allowed the family to eat it at their own convenience)

6. pack the meals and your car

the dinner included: chicken spaghetti, salad, butterscotch brownies, and banana bread

7. bring someone with you to help you with the kids and so you don't have to unload everyone anytime you have to get out of the car

(we brought staci and it was wonderful - we were able to connect and talk during the drive and she helped with the kids when it was needed)

8. pack drinks, snacks and portable DVD player for your kids

9. be in awe of how sweet kristina (one of our deliveries) made snack packs for all of us of animal crackers and juice boxes

- so thoughtful, adorable, and sweet

(we were trying to bless her and she blessed us!)

10. Plan your route for deliveries

11. Give Friends Hugs when you deliver the meal

12. Call husband and tell him to put your own dinner in the oven so that your family can eat.

And that is "How We . . . Deliver Meals to Families"

red shirt compare :)

i realized when i posted the pictures from the boy's first day of school, that duncan was wearing the same shirt that jayden wore on his first day of school two years ago :)

glad i am getting some use out of that shirt :)

i thought it was fun to put the boys side by side to compare their looks.

notice that neither one of the boys is actually looking into the camera,

they both have backpacks that are probably a little big for their little self,

and there are random things on our front porch that probably shouldn't be there :)

enjoy!

let me know what you think - do you think they look similar?

p.s. - now that i know how to do this 2 picture side by side thing - i will probably be doing a lot more :)