It's hard to believe that September is already over and we have entered October with another full calendar in front of us and a growing Christmas list saved on my computer desktop. There's much ahead - a baptism for our girl, family pictures, the first Outlaws basketball tournament, Halloween, and hopefully some time to start that basement family room upgrade. And we're not quite done with football yet, either. We haven't had any time to do a lot of the things we normally do in the Fall - for many reasons. Two boys in football. A new baby. A husband who is not only the head coach of a tackle football team but also now a full time assistant coach of a traveling basketball team. We might not make it to the pumpkin patch this year, and the jury is out on whether or not we'll see UNI Homecoming. But I keep reminding myself that seasons come and go and change all the time, and we are living out the days that I always prayed for. Watching my sons play football is a tremendous joy even if it has meant we haven't had time for an outdoor backyard dinner since August. Having our sweet baby girl has been one of the biggest prayers answered in my lifetime - even if it means we don't venture out as much right now as we are accustomed to doing. And sure, I was hoping to have our basement family room project done by December, but now my goal is maybe next December. ;) But despite this season looking a little differently than it has in year's past, it has been such a good one. And I keep reminding myself that these are the days...
Here are the things that have filled my cup over this past month.
|| Jaden's first season of tackle football. More to come on this later, but as much as I have always loved football, even I wasn't prepared for the emotions I would feel watching my first born play it the way he is now. Cody was asked to head coach this group earlier this summer, and though we weren't fully prepared for what that would entail, I wouldn't trade it. I fell in love with Cody watching him coach high school ball, and now watching him coach our own kiddo is pretty amazing. My coach and my quarterback - off to practice three nights a week together and coming home with stained jerseys, cleats full of grass clumps and a sweaty head full of helmet hair.
|| Brandon's first season of flag football. He told us in July that he wanted us to sign him up, and our third grader, who had never shown much interest in playing the sport himself, took to that field for the first time like the brave kiddo he is. Practices two nights a week for this one have forced us to put guitar lessons on hold for two months, but it has been fun watching him embrace something new.
|| The start of another UNI football season, games in the Dome, dressing my squad in purple on Fridays, and watching those away games on TV in our pajamas with chicken wings and pizzas on our dining table.
|| Slow and casual weekday mornings. More than ever, my work-from-home job has been such a blessing. I set my alarm to wake me up before the rest of the house and am usually able to get in a full 30-45 minutes of work before anyone wakes up and Mama duty calls. This has allowed me to enjoy my time with the kids in the mornings, stay at home with Kaitlyn until the bus comes for the boys at 8:15... and not drop her off at daycare until 8:30. We have time for a morning feeding, snuggles and play time rather than rushing everyone out the door right away.
|| ...and as much of a blessing as our mornings are, the afternoons are much the same. The boys get off the bus, jump right into their homework while I go pick Kaitlyn up from daycare, and everyone (except for Daddy) is home and done with school and work before 5:00. This extra time is so needed with all of our commitments and allows us to focus our evenings on each other.
|| And speaking of work and homework, we now have a new cozy space to do it all in. Right before my maternity leave ended, I found the desk I had been searching for since we moved into this house last summer. When we bought this house, I knew I would eventually want a work space in our for seasons room, but I wanted the desk we purchased to fit with the rest of the room. So for the past year, I had been working from our dining table during the days and packing up my computer and paperwork at the end of each day, moving it off our table to make room for family suppers. However, now that we have my pretty farmhouse desk and a designated corner in our sun room for me to work from, it has made all the difference! I actually wake up looking forward to "going to work" now that I get to spend my time in our beautiful four seasons room, surrounded by windows (and my cat). The space is functional, with my file drawers, my little desk lamp and my pretty coffee coaster and candle. I have my breast pump supplies in a little basket on one of the desk's shelves, can see the living room TV from my work corner and am putting together plans for what to hang on the wall above the desk. I'm still searching for the perfect desk chair but am absolutely loving my new "office." And not only do I love my desk - but the boys do, too! They love to sit at my computer and play learning games and do homework. And rainy mornings from this spot? Perfection.
|| I of course have loved decorating for the season. Now in our second fall in this home, I'm learning more and more what my style is and have incorporated a bit of a different fall color palette to go with my every day decor. I said goodbye to the orange garland that I used to lay along my mantle and found some natural greens to string with lights instead. The boys and I had fun visiting a local market one Friday afternoon when they didn't have school to pick up some fun pumpkins and mums for our front deck. And of course, Kaitlyn's room received a very special pumpkin of its own. :)
|| Time for home when time allows. Soups on the stove top at least one night a week, all the candles lit with scents of leaves, pumpkins and coffee blends wafting throughout the house. Football on TV and a DVR full of new show recordings. Blankets on every chair, closets filled with new comfy clothes, my favorite new pink chunky sweater and Kaitlyn and I both living in our soft gray leggings. Those first cups of hot cocoa and reintroducing ourselves to our closet stocked full of board games. Watching the boys play said board games without adult interference - finally. ;) New chapter books to read and the start of the fifth Harry Potter book before bedtime. A basket full of Fall and Halloween picture books and guitar playing before bedtime. Working our way through the Magnolia cookbook, a batch of chocolate pumpkin muffins, and a new living room basket full of baby toys.
What the boys are reading...
...what Kaitlyn's reading. :)
Yup, these are the days...
