{iPhone Rewind} :: October

Found a sweet gift in my mailbox :)

Thankfully, no kiddos were inside the bathroom...

Looking at photos on Grandma's phone during bath time

Playing at the park!

Silly boy in his silly hat :)

Showing off their MagnaDoodle art

Daddy's girl :)

Organizing his animals :)

Always building something...

Peeking on the neighbors

Loving the cooler weather!

He found this leaf on a walk and carried it around with him everywhere

So proud of his LEGO train!

LOVING ribs!

My getting ready buddy

Watching football with Daddy :)

Afternoon Bible reading

This boy sure does love trucks...of all kinds :)

Sweet siblings playing together

Morning conversations with Maddie :)

Peek-A-Boo! Silly boy :)

Glasses crew

Getting mail from Grandma is the BEST

Sick baby boy...I'll snuggle him all day long, no matter how big he gets

This is Gus the Green Bug {named by my children}. We're hoping he helps said children wake up at a normal hour. Wish us luck.

Anna Harvest Fest

Today we headed over to the Anna Harvest Fest to check things out! I really like to attend local events when we can, and so we headed over to catch the tail-end of it after nap. It was beautiful weather, and it was nice to be out in the sunshine after all the rain we have had.

They had several bounce houses, live music, food, and a lot of booths advertising local businesses. So there really weren't many activities for the kids, at least not ones that didn't include having to hear a sales pitch. And our kiddos are still wary of bounce houses, so we basically just walked around to see what was there and then headed home haha. But now we can say that we have been :)

But the highlight? The Anna Fire Department fire truck! Eli was SO excited about all of the first responder cars/trucks. They were all lined up along the edge of the Harvest Fest, so he got to see police cars, an ambulance, and fire trucks. Oh, and a school bus even came by {it was used as a shuttle for parking}, so that was just a fun bonus for our vehicle-loving boy. 

He was practically running to see the fire truck haha

Getting a sticker from a firefighter

Maddie got a sticker from the constable who is up for re-election

My boys

While it wasn't exactly what we were expecting, it was still nice to be out in the beautiful weather as a family :)

Fall Bucket List :: Play at a New Park

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous lately, and we are taking full advantage of enjoying the outdoors! We recently decided to check out a new {to us} park in our little city. We had the park all to ourselves, and we had so much fun! Eli and Maddie loved the slide, and Aiden loved the swings :)

I am usually pretty nervous at parks, because I don't know how tall slides will be, how many openings there will be that they can just fall right through, from how high they can fall, etc. They are still pretty unsteady when climbing and don't really pay attention where they are walking...and with 2 {really 3} of them to keep track of, I like having as few hazards as possible. Overbearing? Maybe. But I'd like to avoid major injuries and the ER, if possible :)

But this park felt safer, even than our own neighborhood park. There were definitely still countless ways to get hurt, but I feel like they could navigate this playground a little better than some others we have visited.

We took a short walk around the park, which took us by a gazebo. Eli and Maddie weren't too impressed by it, but they did sit long enough for a quick photo :)

We had such a fun family day at the park, and we look forward to going back!

1000 Books Before Kindergarten :: 300!

We were able to read another 100 books! We are LOVING all of the fun library books :)

You can find the first 100 books we read here, and the second 100 books here.

1. A Day at the Fire Station by Richard Scarry
2. Froggy Goes to the Library by Jonathan London*
3. Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
4. Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet Ahlberg
5. How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You? by Jane Yolen*
6. Click, Clack, Peep by Doreen Cronin*
7. A is for Angry by Sandra Boynton*
8. The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr
9. How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon? by Jane Yolen*
10. They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel
11. Otis by Loren Long*
12. The Grumpy Dump Truck by Brie Spangler
13. Monkey Truck by Michael Slack
14. How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? by Jane Yolen*
15. Duck, Duck, Dinosaur: Bubble Blast by Kallie George*
16. How Do Dinosaurs Love Their Dogs? by Jane Yolen*
17. Froggy Rides a Bike by Jonathan London
18. Buster the Little Garbage Truck by Marcia Berneger
19. Lyle at the Office by Bernard Waber
20. People, Places, and Things by Dr. Seuss
21. Maisy Goes to the Movies by Lucy Cousins
22. Pigs Ahoy! by David McPhail
23. The Gingerbread Man by Karen Schmidt
24. Froggy Goes to Grandma's by Jonathan London*
25. Big Bird's First Book of Letters by Bendon
26. The Wondrous World of Madeline by Sarah Khan*
27. The Wondrous World of Elijah by Sarah Khan*
28. Eli & Maddie Go Together Like... by Chronicle Books*
29. A is for Autumn by Robert Maass*
30. It's Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr
31. Ready-Made Sweetie by Whitney Williams*
32. Treasure Babies by Whitney Williams*
33. Curious George Goes Swimming by H.A. Rey*
34. But I Don't Eat Ants by Dan Marvin*
35. The Cow Who Climbed a Tree by Gemma Merino
36. Bunnybear by Andrea J. Loney
37. Vroom! by Barbara McClintock
38. One Leaf, Two Leaves, Count with Me by John Micklos
39. Barnyard Dance! by Sandra Boynton*
40. Colorful World: Farm by Nastja Holtfreter
41. Sing...Read...Learn: Farm Animals by Kim Mitzo Thompson and Karen Mitzo Hilderbrand*
42. My Leaf Book by Monica Wellington
43. Things That Go: Air & Sea by Paper Craft by Design {dollar store purchase for road trip}
44. Things That Go on Land by Paper Craft by Design {dollar store purchase for road trip}
45. Fan-Tab-U-Lus ABC Animals by Charles Reasoner
46. Fan-Tab-U-Lus 1-2-3 Birds in a Tree by Charles Reasoner
47. Disney Mickey & Friends: Ticket Trouble by Lucy Geist*
48. Disney Minnie: The Butterscotch Bandit by Lucy Geist*
49. Disney Mickey & Friends: Pride of the Parade by Lucy Geist*
50. Disney Minnie: The Flower Prowler  by Lucy Geist*
51. Puppies by Bendon {dollar spot purchase for road trip}
52. Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert
53. In the Middle of Fall by Kevin Henkes
54. Really Feely: Farm by DK Children
55. Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack by Doreen Cronin*
56. Weather Watch by Kathryn Knight
57. Clifford the Weather Dog by Sonali Fry*
58. Cookie's First Book of Numbers by Bendon*
59. Elmo's First Book of Colors by Bendon*
60. Abby's First Book of Shapes by Bendon*
61. Numbers by Judith Nouvion, C.A. Krones
62. Weather by Pascale de Bourgoing*
63. Dump Trucks by Cynthia Amoroso*
64. Wild Weather by Katharine Kenah
65. Weather Fun with Mother Goose by Stephanie Hedlund
66. The Family Book by Todd Parr
67. Freddy the Frogcaster by Janice Dean
68. Black Bird Yellow Sun by Steve Light*
69. Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin*
70. Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh*
71. From Head to Toe by Eric Carle
72. The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
73. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin and James Dean*
74. Bert & Ernie's First Book of Opposites by Bendon
75. Opposites Race Backyardigans by Irene Kirkpatrick
76. Disney Pixar Cars: Opposites by Random House
77. Lionel and Molly: Opposites by Joanna Lake
78. Zoe's First Book of Seasons by Bendon
79. Dog & Friends: Opposites by Emma Dodd
80. How Do Dinosaurs Stay Safe? by Jane Yolen
81. My First Dinosaur by Dorling Kindersley Ltd
82. Dinosaurs: My Early Learning Library by Angie Hewitt
83. The Berenstain Bears' Dinosaur Dig by Jan & Mike Berenstain
84. I Love My Dinosaur by Giles Andreae*
85. Dinosaurs by Karen Mitzo Hilderbrand and Kim Mitzo Thompson
86. Oh My, Oh My, Oh Dinosaurs! by Sandra Boynton*
87. Bones, Bones, Dinosaur Bones by Byron Barton
88. Police Cars by Julie Murray*
89. A Trip to the Police Station by Josie Keogh
90. Police Dogs by Frances E. Ruffin
91. You're All My Favorites by Sam McBratney*
92. Worms for Lunch? by Leonid Gore*
93. We're Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger*
94. Mama's Kisses by Kate McMullan
95. Pete the Cat and the Itsy Bitsy Spider by James Dean
96. Sally Goes to the Vet by Stephen Huneck
97. Millie Waits for the Mail by Alexander Steffensmeier
98. Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do by Kathryn Heling & Deborah Hembrook*
99. Picture Me to the Rescue by Cathy Hapka
100. National Geographic Readers: Helpers in Your Neighborhood by Shira Evans

*Some of our favorites

Carried for a Moment

Jack * Jill * Amy * Noah * Annie * Hope * Connor

Today marks the 5th National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day that we have recognized for our own losses. It's hard to believe that it has been 5 years since we received our official "infertile" diagnosis, 5 years since the start of our journey through embryo adoption. As I read back through our past remembrances {2015, 2016, 2017, 2018}, I was overwhelmed by God's loving-kindness to us.

Our journey through embryo adoption is one that I will forever cherish, because through it, we saw God's loving hand guide and form our family. Even as we rejoice over the gifts of Eli, Maddie, and Aiden, I still have an ache in my heart for the little ones we lost. The ache has certainly diminished over time, and I expect God will allow time to continue to heal. The heartbreak of infertility and loss will always be a part of our story, and I wonder how long those past pains will linger. I do know that the Lord has and will continue to use our story, and for that, I am thankful.

It was a long, difficult journey, one that brought its own set of heartaches that we didn't expect. But as I watch my babies run and play and laugh, I am thankful for all of the beauty God formed from the ashes. The Lord has healed our hearts in countless ways, and I am forever grateful for all He has done. It has been humbling to see and feel the Lord's redemption of our family. Who gets to say that they have 3 living, breathing, tangible proofs of God's faithfulness and grace?

So as I pause today to remember our sweet little ones that we carried only for a moment, I remember the goodness of God. I remember that life is a precious gift from our Creator, that every life has value. I remember God's loving, gracious hand that walked with us in those dark moments of loss and despair. I remember the hope and hurt and healing that God has used to draw us closer to Him and to show His glory in our lives. I remember those still in the waiting, the wondering, the pain, the loss. I remember that my God is able, more than "able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think." {Ephesians 3:20}

Pumpkin Patch 2019

This weekend we visited our local pumpkin patch here in Melissa! Lola's Local Market is our local farmer's market, and they set up a pumpkin patch every year. It's 5 minutes from our house! We hadn't had a chance to visit Lola's yet, so we thought the pumpkin patch would be a fun introduction to this local treasure. 

It was a gorgeous morning! The weather was cool, but sunny {so it was hard to smile in our photos, but we still made do}. Granny and Grumpz were able to join us as well, which made the trip that much more fun :)

The pumpkin selection was varied {lots of different kinds and colors}, but small. But the kiddos didn't seem to mind! And the big tractors made up for the pumpkins anyway...especially for our vehicle-loving boy!

Maddie was more interested in hiding behind the tractor tire haha

Maybe one day we will get a family photo with everyone looking at the camera...unfortunately, that day was not today. Oh well :)

We got there early, so all of the official farm activities hadn't started yet, but we were still able to walk through a pallet maze, see the chickens, and take lots of fun photos.

Chicken Grumpz and Turtle Eli

Aiden Donkey and Turtle Eli {+ Maddie wanting to pet the cat}

Daddy Donkey, Aiden Cat, and Eli Turtle

Everyone seemed to have fun at our little local pumpkin patch. The weather was perfect, and it really was the right size for our little ones. And I'm glad that we went early to get there before it got too crowded. Maddie wanted to pick up ALL the pumpkins and take them with her, Eli LOVED the tractors, and Aiden just wanted to lick all the pumpkins haha. Since we missed going to the pumpkin patch last year, I was really glad we could get some photos of Aiden at his first pumpkin patch :)

Every. Single. Pumpkin.

We had such a fun morning at the pumpkin patch, and then enjoyed some yummy BBQ for lunch. Our kiddos can't stop talking about the pumpkins and tractors, and how much fun they had with Granny and Grumpz! :)