Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#232}

Hello and happy Friday!

What a week…TGIF! Not having school on Tuesday was great, but somehow it sure did make the week feel longer.

Anyway, as always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

First of all, Happy November! November is always a very hectic month for us, especially since Travis is usually working most of the month at the horse sale. That being said, it’s the kids’ birthday month, the weather cools off, and I love Thanksgiving, so November has quite a few good things going on.

Last Saturday, was the state cross country meet. I was nervous for Hayden as it was his first varsity state meet…and he didn’t run well the week before…(by his standards!)

Trav’s brother was there and got some great pics, including this one of Trav giving him a bit of a pep talk before the race.

He ran an amazing race. He had a goal to be in the top 80, and he was 66th…and was the fourth freshman.

He was really happy with his performance, and I could tell it seemed like a “weight” was lifted off his shoulders after the race….he even took a few pics with fam!

And, of course, on Sunday he made a 9:00 tee time…heaven forbid any of us relax!

Last night was the cross country banquet. It was our first high school banquet, so I didn’t know what to expect. It was such a nice way to celebrate the runners.

Hayden was rookie of the year.

Tuesday, was a big day in America…

…and I did exercise my right to vote.

…America, while waiting for the results…

This pic popped up on my school’s social media from last Friday. Dunkin Donuts was handing out free samples, so of course Hadley and her lunch buddies had to have a taste test.

On Tuesday, while Hayden was at PT, I went to Hobby Lobby and picked up a few ornaments for Hadley’s Christmas tree. (We haven’t decorated for Christmas…yet!)

The Nutcracker was too cute to resist. I have a couple, so I will add him to my collection.

I popped into Trader Joe’s and wasn’t expecting to see our favorite gingerbread cookies yet. We all love these.

Fave Food:

When we go to Mexican restaurants, I usually find whatever version of chicken, rice and queso they have. I saw this recipe on Pinterest and made it for dinner this week. It was really good!

Share Our Lives:

On Monday, it’s our monthly Share Our Lives link up.

This month’s topic is…where do you shop?

If you have a blog, we’d love to have you join us.

Favorite Mom Meme:

I must be doing a lot of parenting. haha

Weekly Recap:

I’m on a blogging streak for November…

What are your weekend plans? As of now, we still really don’t have anything going on. Travis will still be busy at work, but I hope to hang out at home, run a few errands, and rest up a bit.

I will be sharing more gratitude posts this weekend, so you’ll still be hearing from me.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids, Seasonal

Friday Favorites {#231}

Hello and happy Friday! Happy November 1st.

Besides October, November is another favorite month of mine. The weather finally gets cooler, it’s the kids’ birthday month, and Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays!

How was your week? Ours was pretty good. We didn’t have a ton going on in the evenings which was nice. I feel like it made the week feeling longer…in a good way.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

Last Saturday, Hayden ran in the regional cross country race. This the last stop before the state meet.

It’s been a long but good season for him. He’s had some frustrating races and ones that he’s really proud of his progress. I do think it’s been a huge adjustment for him running varsity, and he’s close to logging 1,000 miles this year.

He’s been going to PT a few days a week for his hip, so I’m hoping that’s feeling better for him for the state meet.

We’re always proud of his effort and dedication. At the regional race, there are only seven runners per team, so it was nice that the course wasn’t so crowded. His team placed 3rd in the region, so that’s quite the accomplishment as well.

You know we lost the one tree in our yard, but the other one is still so pretty. I snapped this pic of the kids after church on Sunday, and I love it.

Guess what….as of yesterday, all of those leaves are on the ground.

On Sunday, I bought some new mums. My other ones didn’t last very long, and these two color ones from Kroger were a good price and so pretty.

I put my spider webs out and put my little skeletons in the mums. Festive and cute!

When my mom was in town, she helped the kids put together this β€œspooky” house that my Gma sent with her. I put two flameless tea lights under it, and it’s so cute lit up.

Sunday night, Hadley went to her Young Life group, and they painted this cute pumpkin.

On Monday, Hadley and friends helped at their former elementary school’s trunk or treat. They said they saw some of their former teachers and other friends they knew. Hadley was a Dalmation (she was hot, so not all the way zipped up at this moment) to her friend’s fireman. Hayden went too, but he couldn’t go until later.

Wednesday night, my heart was so happy. We had mummy dogs and macaroni and cheese brains before…

…carving pumpkins.

Hadley’s Chick-fil-A idea turned out so cute, and Hayden carved a skeleton (with a little help from Travis and me!)

Fave Outfit:

I snagged the “Lucy” scalloped pullover from SSYS, and I got so many compliments when I wore it this week. Some colors and sizes are sold out, but there are still a few color/size combos left.

Fave Meme:

‘Tis the season for all the things!

Favorite Mom Meme:

Relatable!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

This time of the year, I always reminiscence about all the fun (and cute!) costumes the kids wore though the years…

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts from the week:

What are your weekend plans? I’m grateful for a pretty slow weekend…and I’m one of the ones who loves to “fall back.” I know it’s crazy, but I like when it gets darker earlier and lighter out when we wake up.

Have a great fall weekend!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids, Seasonal

Friday Favorites {#230}

Hello and happy Friday!

Wow! I feel like this week crept by. On Tuesday, I said, “How is it only Tuesday?”…and then I said the same thing on Wednesday!

Anyway, as always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

Since last Friday, I recapped our fall break Florida trip, I have few pictures of favorites from last week as well as from this week too.

Hadley’s volleyball season wrapped up last week. They had such a great season and finished third in the city tournament. Then, they had one more home game and won it to cap off the season.

It’s hard to believe her first high school season is over, but it was a good one. She also had a lot of amazing older varsity players to look up to, and senior night was fun to watch.

Trav’s brother came and snapped a few pics, and I love the action shots.

She has a little break before club season starts.

The cross country season is still going on. Right now, just the runners who are running at the region and state meet these next two weekends have been practicing, but last Thursday, the whole team met up to run through a neighborhood and look at the Halloween decorations and lights.

I’d say that’s a fun way to do a workout!

Friday night, we went to our school’s soccer game. It was a beautiful night, and they won the region game.

Saturday night, the kids went to “Fright Night” and had a great time. Hayden was there too…but he does a great job dodging photos. haha

On Sunday, Hadley was all dressed up…

…to celebrate her friend’s birthday. This is such a sweet group of girls.

Our front yard tree’s leaves finally changed colors.

She’s a beaut but missing her friend…

I was very happy about some chocolate cake on Monday!

Travis and I were able to spend some time at Keeneland this week was nice! The fall meet ends tomorrow, so I was glad to go there for a bit before the season ends.

The second horse is by one of his farm’s stallions…and she tied for second in this race.

Favorite Mom Meme:

This couldn’t be more true…

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

Whenever I think of Keeneland, I think of this sweet memory…The kids were cheering for a horse, and I guess the horse lost…by a nose!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week in case you missed one:

I hope you have the best October weekend.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Travel

Friday Favorites {#229}: Vacay Recap

Hello and happy Friday!

TGIF! After being sick at the end of last week, this full week of school sure did feel like a long one. That being said, it was nice to get back into a routine!

Thanks to being sick and just life being busy, I haven’t recapped our trip to 30A for fall break.

I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites...

…for a little…

This is our third year of having a full week for fall break…and it’s also our third year traveling to the 30A area with our same group of friends. This vacay is definitely one of our favorites.

We weren’t sure if this trip would happen until we saw the fall sports schedule. Thankfully, for us, cross country and volleyball didn’t have anything scheduled, so we were able to take this vacay.

By the end of this post, you might be sick of pics of sunsets and me reading my Kindle. haha

Here are the details of our trip:

Saturday:

We left our house around 8:30 on Saturday morning, and had a very smooth ten hour ride to 30A.

Two families left the night before, so they were getting the house settled right as us and another family arrived.

After we got unpacked, everyone scattered, but my friend and I went to the beach for sunset which is my favorite part of a beach vacation.

We had about thirty minutes on the beach.

Once we got back to the house, again, people kind of did whatever they wanted. The dads/husbands ordered pizza and wings and stayed home to watch football.

The moms went to Seaside where most of the kids were, and we enjoyed our dinner before going back to the house for the night.

Sunday:

We had a lazy morning with breakfast at home.

Eventually, we made it to the beach around noon. Because Hurricane Helene had just blown through, the flags were red, and the water was murky and choppy. The water reminded me more of the Atlantic Ocean as opposed to the Gulf of Mexico. We could still get in the water if needed, but no swimming or playing around. So, the kids mostly hung on the beach.

I read most of the afternoon.

The kids played on the beach. The girls mostly laid out, and the boys played bocce ball. Eventually the kids left and went to Seaside.

It was such a beautiful day.

In the late afternoon, the guys went for oysters and the girls went back to the house.

My friend Megan and I stayed all day until sunset.

This crew joined us at the beach for sunset. They are such a sweet group!

Sunsets never get old…

That night, we grilled out for dinner, played “Play 9” and had s’mores.

It was a great first full day at the beach.

Monday:

Monday morning, we took our time getting started with the day. The girls had gotten up early for the sunrise, and shared their pretty photos

We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, but the girls wanted muffins, so I took them on the golf cart to Seaside.

This view is always so pretty:

Then, we went back to the house. Some of our friends also had a house in our neighborhood, and they suggested Black Bear for breakfast. We’d never been, and it’s now a few fave for breakfast!

This bagel hit the spot:

Then, we went to the beach for the day. The water was calmer, but we still had a red flag.

I stayed a few hours, and I headed back to the house in the early afternoon.

I love nothing more than an afternoon nap on vacation. Also, because I’d stayed at the beach all day the day before, I was kind of a lobster in some spots. So, I headed back to the house for a shower and a nap before breakfast.

The kids wanted to go out to eat for dinner, and one of the easiest places to do that is at the Big Chill. There’s a variety of restaurants to choose from and lots of space to hang out.

It was a really pretty night.

We enjoyed dinner and a drink for a couple of hours, and then we went home. Most of us went to bed pretty early.

Tuesday:

We have something planned for breakfast every morning at the house, and Tuesday’s breakfast was bacon and biscuits.

That morning, we went shopping in Seaside…and I got my traditional post office pic with Had.

Of course the girls got a pic too!

Then, we did a bit of shopping. Hadley got a sweatshirt, and I got a t-shirt.

Trav and Hadley went over to Black Bear for breakfast, and my friend sent me this pic:

Then, it was time for the beach…and it was a yellow flag for the day, but the water was back to a pretty green/blue color that we are used to on the Gulf.

How Hayden does the beach:

The kids were so happy to be able to play in the water after the two red flag days. This is such a fun crew:

Hayden and I were back to the house by 3:00 to watch the Royals game play off game.

I had asked my family to make sure they were at the beach for sunset as I knew the next day, we wouldn’t be able to be at the beach at sunset and there was a chance of rain on Thursday.

Anyway, I was happy to get a pic with the fam:

…and a few other pics:

The girls were there for the traditional sweatshirt pic. I love that the pretty colors of their sweatshirts match the beautiful water and sky.

Besties!

At Modica Market, I picked up this 30A Rose’, and it was the perfect beverage for the beach.

After sunset, we went back to the house and had tacos for dinner.

Wednesday:

Wednesday was another beach day. We spent time at the beach 10:30-3, and it was the best beach day we had. The water and the temps were perfect. My friend overheard another beach goer say that they picked up sand dollars at the sand bar that we could see a bit out past where we could touch.

So, we swam (with our flotation devices) to the sand bar. We were out there for about 45 minutes and came back with so many sand dollars.

Of course, the little girls laid them out and counted them once we got back.

We even had some cloud coverage that day which was so nice.

I had lots of time to read…

…before I headed back to the house for the Royals game 3:30. They won both games on Tuesday and Wednesday which was so fun to watch.

That night, while we were getting ready for the adults’ dinner, the girls went to the beach for their own sunset pics.

We headed to dinner at Cafe Thirty-A. I got the lobster alfredo, and it was delish!

We came home to the girls working on a puzzle.

They completed a couple that week!

It was a great evening with an early bedtime.

Thursday:

A few of us decided to hit up Black Bear for breakfast one more time on Thursday. It definitely hit the spot!

After breakfast, we spent some time in Seaside, and did some window shopping and some real shopping.

A rare glimpse of the boys!

Of course, after that, I headed to the beach for a few hours. We “forced” the kids to go to the beach since it was the last day.

It was a purple flag day…so the girls were on the look out for some jelly fish. We did see a few in the water that day.

The girls just kept their toes in the water. haha

Well, the kids didn’t last more than an hour. The girls went to the pool, and Travis took the boys golfing. So, I had a few hours on the beach to read and enjoy the view. A few of the other adults stayed too. We wanted to soak in the last day.

Once I got back from the beach, I showered and started to get organized and pack.

Hadley went to Rosemary Beach with one of the other families.

Eventually, Travis and I made our way to Seaside where Hayden was. The post office was decorated for fall.

While we waited to be seated at Great Southern, Hayden snapped a pic with me πŸ™‚

The three of us had dinner, and the boys ran off again to hang out.

Once we were back at the house, the girls had movie night, and we packed up to leave in the morning.

Friday:

Friday morning, we finished packing up the car, and I forced the kids to take one more pic in front of the house. Truly, they weren’t happy with me…but oh well…I’m used to dealing with moody teens. haha

Then, we hit the road back home. It took us a bit longer to get home; we didn’t do a good job planning our stops. Also, one of our stops was Bucee’s where I’m convinced Travis picked up Covid, got sick, and then passed it on to me. Oh well…we’re all feeling better now.

It’s always sad to leave the beach after a good trip, but it’s also so nice to arrive home and sleep in our own beds.

A few thoughts:

  • This was our third year doing this trip with the same families, and I feel so lucky to have a crew that gets along, makes plans, but goes with the flow, and we all enjoy each other’s company.
  • It’s important to have low expectations when traveling with a big group, and I think we do a good job of that. Also, we have followed the same at home breakfast and dinner plans the past few years, but also adjust as needed. For example, the kids all wanted to go out to dinner, so that’s how we ended up going to the The Big Chill rather than eating at home Monday night. Some families or couples end up making their own plans, and that’s fine too. Some love to beach all day, and others just go for a few hours. I think we’ve done a good job embracing each other’s preferences. They all know I love to catch as many sunsets as possible, but I know there are nights that won’t happen, and that’s fine.
  • Each year has gotten easier as the kids get older. Do I wish my kids, and even Trav, were at the beach more because that’s what I like to do? Yes. But, it’s nice that the kids are old enough to have some independence too.
  • Bikes come in handy as that’s the kids’ main form of transportation. The house comes with some, but there were extra ones this year, and Trav rented one to use to follow Hayden on his runs.
  • The golf cart is also a key factor for us as that’s the easiest form of transportation to most places in the Seaside area. We pay extra to use the one at the house.
  • This was the first year we used the “Splitwise” app. I’d heard of it, but had never used it. We would just add in expenses, divide it up, and settle up using Venmo at the end of the week to repay whoever needed paid.
  • This year, we arrived on Saturday evening, and usually we drive halfway on Saturday, and arrive late afternoon on Sunday. It was SO nice having the extra day, but then still having the weekend to recover and regroup after a week away was perfect.

Overall, it was a great trip, and we hope to do it again if the athletics schedule allows.

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week:

If you made it to the end of this post, thanks for reading!!

I hope you have a great weekend.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#228}

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? Well, ours started off ok just getting back in the groove after a week off, but Travis was sick at the start of the week, and now it’s my turn to be under the weather.

Hopefully, we’ll rally for the weekend and have a better week next week.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

It’s hard to believe that a week ago we were headed home from one of our favorite places. I had intended to share our trip recap today, but I just didn’t have it in me to get such a large post organized, written, and published. I hope to work on in this weekend in order to share next week.

Anyway…on to this week…

I started Saturday morning at home which is always a nice place to be after a week away. Instead of a mimosa from Modica Market, I sipped my coffee out of my new mug.

While in Seaside on the last morning, I went to one of my favorite spots…the bookstore. I picked up this 30A coloring book (as well as a book, a puzzle, and a sticker for my Kindle)

It’s been relaxing coloring a few pages.

It’s been fun watching the KC Royals in the post season…something that hasn’t happen since 2015. Saturday night was so nice that we watched the game on the back patio. Unfortunately, we were losing, so I told Hayden to put on his “rally cap,” and he flipped up his hood. haha

Tuesday night, Hayden ran in the “city championship” race, and it was so beautiful outside.

Hayden had a PR, running 20 seconds faster than his last race, and he reached his goal of running under 17 minutes for a 5K. He was so happy after the race, and he placed in the top 15 in the city.

While at home yesterday, I started Nobody Wants This. I’m three episodes in, and it’s a cute and funny show.

October is one of my favorite months, so of course I love seeing graphics like this one…

…and quotes like this…

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week:

Share Our Lives:

We have our monthly Share Our Lives link up on Monday, and we’d love to have you join us. This month’s topic is…sweet tooth cravings.

What are your weekend plans? We have a busy Saturday, but not much on Sunday. I hope I’m able to get up and moving around soon!

Thanks for reading,

Posted in Friday Favorites, Travel

Friday Favorites {#227}

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, this week went by quickly. Why is it like that when you have time off? We’ve been on fall break in Florida this week, and it just went by too fast!

I hope you’ve had a great week.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are a few faves from the week:

We left Saturday morning and drove the ten hours to 30A Florida near Seaside. This is our third fall break doing this with three other families, and it’s truly become one of my most favorite weeks of the year.

We arrived at the house around 5:30, and I was able to catch the 6:30 sunset with a friend. I do hate that the sun sets so early in the fall!

We had the best week with our kids…the girls…

…and the boys.

Due to Hurricane Helene, the waters weren’t very clear the first two days. The Gulf looked more like the Atlantic Ocean, but with each passing day, the green blue water reappeared.

We had fun shopping in Seaside and grabbing breakfast or a mimosa most mornings.

We were able to catch a few sunsets this week. Honestly, the four of us weren’t on the beach together often as the kids kind of did their own thing, and Travis isn’t really a beach guy, so I was thankful to snap this sunset pic on Tuesday.

Seaside sweatshirt pic…per tradition!

Every year, I stop in the Sundog Books store and pick up a book or some other souvenir.

I loved this quote when I stopped by yesterday:

I’m sure I will do a full recap, hopefully next week, but we had a great week filled with sand, sunshine, family and friend time.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Hahaha…Hadley is like me in many ways!

One more fave:

Two afternoons this week, Tuesday and Wednesday, Hayden and I came back from the beach in time to cheer on our boys in blue. The Royals swept the Orioles and are headed the ALDS series which starts tomorrow vs. the Yankees in New York.

It’s been so fun watching them this season, and we even went to a game while in KC this summer and then we went to Cincinnati about a month ago to watch them as they beat the Reds.

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week:

What are your weekend plans? We’ll get home tonight, and then I need to spend the rest of the weekend getting my life in order! I see laundry and grocery shopping in my future as well as some downtime to watch the Royals game on Saturday.

See you back here on Monday!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids, Meals and Recipes

Friday Favorites {#226}

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, I can’t believe it, but today is our last day of school before fall break! I feel like the first couple of weeks of school moved slowly, but September sure felt like it flew by.

As always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea and for this week’s Friday Favorites.

I have quite a few favorites, so here we go:

Friday, two students gave me friendship bracelets they made me. One of them is a combo of their names, and the other stands for “we need to talk” because that’s what they always say when they come and ask me a question. It was such a sweet gesture!

My brother’s family got a new pup a few weeks ago. Growing up, our family dog was a Doberman, and my brother wanted one for his family. Tucker is a handful, but he’s a cutie…especially when he’s sleeping πŸ˜‰

Hayden had a meet in Louisville last Saturday, and he had another PR. The high school races are so different than the middle school ones. I’m lucky to see him once in the hundreds of runners and the races are longer which means I feel like I’m waiting forever to see him!

My dad was in town last week and got to see Hayden’s race.

Hadley had a tournament in Louisville on Saturday as well.

So, after Hayden’s race, we made our way to the tournament. The Major got to see that activity as well.

Right after the tournament ended, we hurried home. I had to wake up at 5:00 that morning, so I was ready to get home and take a quick nap before all of the Homecoming activities started.

Hadley had a couple of friends come over to get ready around 3:30. Once they were ready, I dropped them off at dinner with their group before meeting for pictures before the dance.

Hadley’s date brought her flowers, and they were so pretty.

Hadley and her friends all looked beautiful.

We continue to have good luck with finding dresses online. This was the first dress we ordered, and Hadley loved it.

Look at this crew…they all went to elementary school together, and have been friends for ten years!

Yes, Hayden is friends with the same crew…but didn’t have Homecoming on his freshman year Bingo card πŸ˜‰ Once he found out it cost money for the ticket, he was out! haha (I did tell him I’d give him money for the ticket, but no dice on that offer.)

Can you believe this entire crew got a dinner reservation at the same restaurant? We reminded them to tip (at least!) 20%. πŸ˜‰

They all went to the dance for a bit and then Hadley hung out with some friends after the dance. Overall, I think they had a great time.

Favorite Meal:

I’ve probably shared this recipe before, but I made One Pot Chicken Alfredo again this week, and it was a hit. One of my pet peeves is boiling water and having to wait on it to put my pasta in. I love a one pot recipe where the noodles cook in the same dish as the rest of the ingredients!

Favorite Mom Meme:

The number of times I ask kids to pick up their shoes…

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

Look at this toothless pic from 2015. My kids loved playing soccer when they were little. They were on team Force and had both scored three goals each! Confession: I’m glad the soccer years are over. I know we do club seasons in other sports, but soccer seems intense! Both kids have friends who play competitively, and it seems like a huge commitment.

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week

What are your weekend plans? Well, it’s the start of fall break for us, and we are ready for it! I hope to still have a few posts next week, so I will see you then.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Meals and Recipes, Seasonal

Friday Favorites {#225}

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? We had a great week, but I’m getting annoyed with the weather. I can honestly handle 80 degrees, but I’m over the 90 degree temps!

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

‘Tis the season at Trader Joe’s. I made a stop at Trader Joe’s on Saturday and picked up some of my regular items as well as some fall favorites.

I did resist the temptation to buy some front porch pumpkins, but I hope to do that this weekend.

Not a favorite…on my walk back to my car, this startled me….

…like I had bags in both my hands, and I jumped back startled! A couple others walking near me asked if I was ok…and then saw the hand. haha

This is a blurry photo, but it’s a screen shot of a video. On Saturday, Travis was working, so Hayden convinced Hadley to follow him on her bike for his ten mile run. She was biking and had her blue tooth speaker on her handle bar, so they got to listen to some tunes. The video was shared on his running club’s Instagram page, so that was a nice shout out after running 41 miles last week. It was sweet that Hadley obliged Hayden’s request…especially since she had to get up early to do so.

Saturday night, the kids went to the UK game. Travis had to work late, and I had things to do at home. So, they went with friends, and Hadley shared this pic with me.

They had fun with their friends (and cousins), but were bummed about the 13-14 loss to Georgia. I guess I’m getting a glimpse of the next few years as at close to midnight I was waiting for them to get home.

On Sunday, I had time to decorate fall. I was so happy to turn on my pumpkins and light my fall candles!

Also, y’all …no lie. I didn’t buy a single new fall decoration…except…

… a new garden flag. The fall garden flag that I’ve had for years, was showing its age. So, I ordered this cute one from Amazon. It’s less than $10, and seems to have all of the initial options. I was so pleasantly surprised with the quality too!

The spider webs were just an added touch from nature!

Since I pretty much decorated the same as last year, I’m not sure if I will do a “fall home tour” post this year. Here’s last year’s post in case you are interested!

Of course, we had some volleyball this week. Hadley had one away game and one home game, and they won both! Her away game was at a brand new school about thirty minutes away, and the gym was amazing.

Favorite Recipe:

On Wednesday night, I tried a new recipe. It was sooo easy, and it was delicious as well. Chicken Broccoli Cheese Casserole will definitely be added into the dinner rotation.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Where is the lie?

Weekly Recap:

The week got away from me, but I did have a couple of posts this week:

What are your weekend plans? Tonight and tomorrow will be very busy for us as it’s Homecoming weekend. On top of that, Hayden has a race tomorrow and Hadley has a volleyball tournament. I guess Sunday will be our day of rest.

I hope you have a great weekend.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids, School

Friday Favorites {#224}

Hello and happy Friday (the 13th!)

Are you superstitious? I am…about the number 13! That being said…fun fact: this is my 1,113th post that I’ve shared.

How was your week? We’ve had a really good full week, but I’m definitely ready for the weekend.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week.

Taking it back to last weekend, I went with Hadley to Sevierville, TN for the team’s volleyball tournament.

Usually, the varsity team goes to Chicago in October, but this year, the boosters and coaches decided to pay for all three teams to go to this tournament. The girls left from school on Friday morning, rode a charter bus, received goody bags, and had all their meals paid for….and…bonus – they stayed at The Wilderness at the Smokies Lodge which has an indoor water park.

It was so fun to watch all three teams all weekend. The freshmen team played in the JV tournament, and had three games Friday night. We didn’t get back to the hotel until around 10:30. They won all three games.

Since the girls won all their games, they didn’t have to be up super early as their first game wasn’t until 11:00. They won their first game that morning which was the last pool play game. They grabbed some lunch, and played a couple of hours later. Since they were 4-0, they made it to the gold (best) bracket of the JV tournament. Unfortunately, they lost the first tournament game in three sets…and the last set’s score was 14-16! It was a nail biter.

They played their hearts out and ended up 6th/22 teams in the gold bracket.

We made our way back to the hotel, and the girls had time at the water park, hanging out in their rooms, and playing games in the arcade. They had a team dinner and ran around a bit more until time for bed.

The moms almost didn’t know what to do with ourselves since we didn’t have to be in charge of our daughters. haha

Another mom and I rode one of the water slides, and then we all met another friend at the roof top bar for a drink.

We had dinner and then went back to the room for a bit. That night, we hung out by the fire and enjoyed a glass of wine.

The next morning, we left and the girls traveled home on the coach bus. I got home and had a couple of hours to get chores and errands finished before picking Hadley up.

They had such a great time, and I was glad to be able to see her games and have some downtime.

Once we got started with the week, we got the proofs for their school pictures.

I swear, it costs an arm and a leg to purchase photos. I prefer the download option because then I can order picture sizes that I want. Anyway, I think they turned out great.

One day at school, two students came up to me with these cute signs. Now, of course, they were buttering me up to let them switch seats and sit by one another. haha!

I still appreciated the effort!!

I haven’t been to Trader Joe’s in a couple of weeks, but last time I was there, I picked up these “Apple Blossoms.” I finally had one this week with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top…they are so delish!

Favorite Mom Meme:

…but sometimes they listen…

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week:

What are your weekend plans? For once, we don’t have much on tap! I hope to put out my fall decorations. If I don’t get to it this weekend, then I don’t know when I will.

I hope you have a great weekend.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Meals and Recipes

Friday Favorites {#223}

Hello and happy Friday!

I hope you’ve had a great week. I finally feel like we’re in a back to school groove. While it’s a bit hectic, at least we’re finding a rhythm to our days.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are my favorites from the week:

First of all, it’s S E P T E M B E R! …

…which means some of my favorite things…

Monday, we didn’t have school because it was Labor Day, so we decided to go to Wallace Station and have lunch outside.

My mom was visiting, so my brother and his family joined us as well. It was a nice afternoon.

I made two favorite meals this week…

One I’ve made many times, and…

…the other was a new recipe. It will definitely be added into the dinner rotation.

After school one day, I had some Amazon returns, so while I did that, Hadley popped into Starbucks. I got Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, and it was delish!

On Instagram, I shared my September book trackers. I’d clearly lost my mind because when I first posted them, I had typed “August” rather than “September.” Anyway, they are saved in a highlight on my Instagram page. If you use one, feel free to tag me! I like making them…I wish I had more time to read!

Yesterday, I finally wore this romper that I got this summer. I really like it, and I got a few compliments too. πŸ™‚

…and the Chiefs started the season off with a big win last night!

Favorite Mom Meme:

Snacks always help!

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week! If I have time, I hope to share one tomorrow or Sunday too.

Share Our Lives:

We have our monthly Share Our Lives post on Monday. We’d love to have you link up with us. This month’s topic is finding peace in your day.

While I had quite a few favorites this week, it’s been a tough one. Earlier this week, we attended a funeral for one of Trav’s cousins. He’s certainly gone too soon, and his sweet family continues to be in our thoughts and prayers.

Also, there was the tragic news out for Georgia where yet another senseless act of violence took the lives of too many innocent people, teachers and students. It’s really hard to make sense of it all. We so happened to have a lock down drill practice on that same day. That night, Hayden said, “Mom, where do you go in your classroom if there is a lock down?” These are not questions my kids should have to ask me. It breaks my heart.

See you back here on Monday,