fall snack

Yesterday's weather was gross.  Rainy but not the pretty relaxing rain.  It was the slightly humid muddy rain.  For the first time in a LONG time I thought about and planned ahead an afterschool project to do with the boys.  We had a lovely crafternoon and snack making session.

A few years ago my friend Kiley introduced me to a fall snack she always makes for her coworkers and friends.  It's Oh's cereal mixed with any or all of the following, 

reece's pieces

fall colored plain m&ms

fall colored peanut m&ms

candy corn m&ms

candy corn

candy pumpkins

peanuts

I have made it the past two years for the boys' teachers and friends as well as plenty of leftovers for us and it's a favorite for sure!

To decorate the jars, and take up lots of time on the rainy day, I cut out leaves from watercolor paper with my silhouette and we painted leaves fall colors.  Or at least Micah, Connor and I did.  Logan painted his leaves black and then painted himself and then painted me.  BUT he didn't eat the paint so we're moving in the right direction!

After the painting we taste tested all the ingredients, mixed it all together and got the jars ready to share.  They turned out super cute, and yummy!

lake varner

This past Saturday we visited a new (to us) park that a friend told us about.  It is next to Cornish Creek Reservoir and Lake Varner which is about 12 minutes from our house and we didn't know existed until two days ago!

  Since we only had about an hour and a half before we had to get back home, so I could get ready for a baby shower, we just drove around the property first and saw the lake and reservoir, big grassy,  rolling hills and rocks to climb, a walking nature trail and a big playground.

We spent the rest of the time playing on the playground and throwing the football and enjoying the quiet fun family time.

sunday song

Song Title - Rise

Artist Name - Trent Monk

Album - Rise

He is waiting with arms opened up

For all who hunger and thirst for more of His peace, truth, and love

Hearts afire, we gather in His name

The strong and the weak and all who seek, let us find our song today

chorus:

Hey, hey people rise, lift one voice

Sing, sing, sing it loud, a joyful noise

That our God is alive and here to revive 

And mend every wounded soul

Hey, hey people rise, rise and sing

Every sin upon Him was laid

But death could not win He stood up again 

And He rolled the stone away

Now all sons and daughters can rest in their souls and be free

So let's go high and low and let our voices grow

Until all have heard and seen

(chorus)

Bridge: (X3)

We sing hallelujah all as one

As we lift our voice

Praises to the Holy One

We make a joyful noise

'Cause our God is alive and here to revive

And mend every wounded soul

So hey, hey people rise, rise and sing

phone pic friday

Last weekend while Micah was sick we put him and Logan to bed early and gave our middle man some alone time love with a game night.

Scary ghost.

My oldest baby was pitiful for 4 days with a crazy high fever.  He laid upstairs for over 48 straight hours sleeping, watching movies and laying there covered in cool towels and ice packs.  He was also super sweet and loving towards his mama.  Just a perk of sick babies :)\

So I'm sitting in our big leather recliner writing and reading and I look over and there's a frog sitting on the blinds.  inside.  what?

Micah made this robot costume over 4 years ago after watching a Curious George episode.  It's still a favorite around here!

I had to take Micah to the doctor on Monday.   Our amazing, sweet and funny pediatrician walked in and looked at Micah and said, "He's got a lot of hair."

 This is what happens to a logi bear that plays instead of sleeps during rest time.

 Some of my favorite childhood books that I busted out of storage while on a search for a for a book for a friend.

 Master builder Connor and his plane

 Any guesses on who stole my phone and turned on the camera?

I lost this notebook a few weeks ago and finally found it this week.  I played catch up big time!]

 Fall appeared!

 Gorgeous day, gorgeous boy, gorgeous time at the park!

Abiding is a reminder I need daily.

I love pretending to be a writer.

rest time?

 Jenga tower 2.0

Connor has a friend from school!  Oh
 the many many prayers that preceded this gift for my boy.

falling

The weather this week has been an incredible gift.  So cool and reviving with a breeze that makes you want to stop and take a deep breath and just be. 

 With cool weather comes the arduous task of what I like to call "the changing of the clothes."  It makes me feel like it's more of a thing of royalty instead of what it really is, which is lugging bins of handme down boy clothes from the shed and going through closets to see who is in what size now, and what needs to be taken out and what needs to be added, and so on and so forth, until there are piles of clothes around you that all need to be washed, folded and put away. 

But with the cooler weather and change in calendar also comes one of my favorite things, decorating.  Next to the big plastic tubs of clothing is another one full of all things fall.  Oh how I enjoyed unpacking the box of pumpkins, garlands, leaves, plates and wreaths full of greens, browns, creams and blues (no orange here) and fitting them in new places, gathering items from around the house and combining it all it a different way until it fell into place.  

And then like everything else about my life right now, my mind drifted to another time.

Last year Fall was more of a verb than a season.  Life was all about survival mode and concentrating strictly on the priorities of God and family, with a little time and energy left over for those close friends, but everything else getting almost forgotten.  

I know I'm not alone in this.  There are many times in life where your scope has to get smaller due to all manner of things, from the happy (and exhausting) like welcoming a newborn or a great job that moves you on a new adventure, to the hard, heartbreaking (and exhausting) like losing a loved one, family trials of numerous kinds, or God quite frankly just shaking things up in any part of your life to bring you to Him.

I am constantly reminded that life is not easy nor was it meant to be after sin entered the world.  It is definitely not a wide leisurely walk and it is not even a straight uphill climb.  It is not going to be normal!   There is a reason for the verses that remind us that this life is a fight, its a race, it's a narrow road that is hard much of the time.  AND why there are many more that tell us who to abide in, who to run to and who is more than capable, more than a conqueror

Not I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.  But one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:12-14

I have fought the good fight I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  2 Timothy 4:7

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  

Hebrews 12:1-2

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.  Acts 20:24

Enter by the narrow gate.  For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.  For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.  Matthew 7:13-14

Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.  He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.  Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

This fall I am feeling the season and we are filling it with all the things we missed out on last year, but taking with me a joy that only comes from knowing what has been done for me.

Deep Breath.