I’m thankful for…
Amanda’s dress – GAP Factory | boot socks | boots | bangles
Derrek’s sweater – GAP Factory | jeans | shoes
Nolan’s shirt | pants | shoes
Harper’s dress | moccs | bow
With the welcome of fall weather comes my love for everything This season brings with it! After I quit being a Grinch about summer’s departure, I fully embrace fall! I just got our fall mini session photos back from Kristina Mosley, and it made me really thankful for all the experiences I get to share with my kids as the seasons change. I’m listing a few things that I am thankful for below. Some are small and some are large, but they all mean something to me and hold a place in my heart!
1. Cool, crisp, fall air. It is an instant mood lifter to go outside and be welcomed with a fresh breeze,and with the kids,I welcome any chance to get outside. They love it and beg to go outside, so we make it a point to head outdoors when it’s not raining.
2. Pumpkin everything! I am so basic white girl with this one, but when fall hits, we go through an influx of a LOT of pumpkin foods! I love baking the pumpkins and making my own puree for recipes and roasting the seeds with a sprinkle of sea salt and coconut oil. We add pumpkin puree to our pancake mixes, breads, loafs, oat bars, greek yogurt, smoothies and pies! pretty much any way you can eat pumpkin, we like to try it.
3. Fall festivals. We have made it a point to take the kids to pumpkin patches and the local fairs and festivals as much as possible, and we are still cramming in activities before it gets fridged cold! There are so many fun festivals & family activities over the next few months, and I hope to add a few to our calendar.
4. Sweater weather. Which goes hand in hand with sweatpants weather, and let’s be honest, who doesn’t need an excuse to pull those bad boys out?!
5. Daylight savings time. My kids are sleeping ’til 8:30 sometimes 9 and it is amazing. I am waking up around 7, and I am able to get so much accomplished. I’ve started a thankfulness themed Bible study, and I try and squeeze a yoga session in after that. My day works so much easier when I wake up before my little squishes start their day!
6. Bonfires. We have a fire pit in the backyard, and we take the kids outback to make smores and hang out outside with their jackets and hats on. They think it is SO cool being by the fire, and we love making those memories with them.
7. Boot season. Need I say more? From booties to over the knee, I love them all! I am such a shoe gal, and I LOVE any excuse to wear boots. During this time of year they are an everyday staple for me.
8. Harper and Nolan. I love these two little people SO much, and with every day that passes they fill my heart with more love. Seeing them form a relationship together versus not understanding each other and fighting 24/7 is SUCH a relief. I was beginning to wonder if they were just going to bicker all the time, but now that Harper has gotten older she talks and listens to him more, and he includes her and makes sure she is okay in every situation. At Sunday school he stays with her if she gets upset and tells her “it’s ok girl I’m right here.”
9. My hubby. There isn’t a man on this Earth that I’ve heard of changing as many diapers or walking babies around to sleep as this man. He is so selfless with his time and pours his heart and soul into our family. I am so VERY thankful for this man above all because without him my world would crumble. He listens to my rants about being a small business owner, helps me with my many to-do lists and tells me that anything I set my mind to he is behind me 100% and he knows I will succeed.
10. Grandparents. When Nolan was first born I would get offended if anyone would try and take more time with him than me, and I see now more than ever how childish that was. I was so protective over my little man cub that when my mother-in-law or mom would try and tell me they could keep him and watch him I would freak out that he wouldn’t be with me and think that they were overstepping their bounderies. Now, I say bring it on! All the help I can get is WELCOMED. Having grands in our life that WANT to help and our children LOVE them and LOVE being around them is pretty much how we survive. It’s how we keep our sanity and how we get random things accomplished throughout the day. Our business is run 24-7, so the kids heading down to Mimi’s for a few hours is a BIG DEAL, and it shows me how much stuff I can get accomplished at once. Not only does it help us, but it helps them. Our parents are only getting older and having our sweet babies around them, saying and doing cute stuff and loving on them helps THEIR souls as well. My mom and mother-in-law both tell everyone how much their grandbabies mean to them and we are so thankful for that love.
