Fall Means Football!

So this year we had some pretty big changes to our Fall schedule! Tanner started playing middle school football and Beau is playing his first year of youth padded football. I wasn't totally sure if Beau would want to play and we let him know he didn't have to...but he needed to do something-soccer, football, tap with his sister...but after a week of football camp this summer he was pretty ready to give it a try. 

I was nervous! He just seems so much smaller than TJ did as a 3rd grader, but he's done really well and having a lot of fun. It worked out really well since TJ is playing middle school football...and for the first time ever is being coached by someone besides his dad, Husband is able to coach Beau's team. 

It's been tricky trying to juggle Tj's practices and games, along with Beau's and of course Husbands busy schedule. We are making it work...with the help of our friends and family...it's chaotically fun and fleeting so I know to enjoy it all while they are young!

TJ now plays week night games! Which makes for late nights and tired kids. Last night they beat Okanogan 48-0. Great job!

TJ and CJ...I still just see little guys when I look at them...and though I'm trying so hard to let TJ have more independence, I'm just never going to be the mom who wants her babies to grow up. 

Beau and Blake after their big win last weekend. 2 touchdowns each and a lot of speedy runs. It's fun having two kids who play such different positions. Beau will probably never have TJ's natural strength and size, while TJ isn't blessed with Beau's speed. Both have an incredible work ethic and love being part of a team. 

Beau's adorable little team after a nice win against Lake Roosevelt. 

Our New Baby!

I always joke with Husband that it's a good thing we can't have anymore babies because I'd want one...I've had this little twinge for a baby for a while..increased a lot by the rapid pace at which our kids are growing up. Waaaaaaaaah. Kidding, kind of. Anyywhoo's, since we can't have a baby ( and really our hands are full with 3) the next best thing was a puppy. 

So I have been casually looking for a small dog for months...and arguing with Husband all the way. He doesn't like small dogs because, "They all yap!" He claims. My mission was simple- find a smallish, cute not yapping dog. Easy? Nope. And, it had to be a rescue since I think buying a dog is absolutely crazy for people like us who simply want it as a pet...and Husband was never going to let me spend $ on an animal. 

Sunday night I had a few good leads I was going to pursue and I was excited...and then on Monday a coworker who I just love explained they were looking for a good home for their daughters mini Australian Shepard. I was immediately interested and went to visit the dog that night with Finley.It took   about 2 seconds to see this was a cool dog...about 4 months old, brown and white, active but not crazy Labrador puppy behavior and best of all... No yapping. We played with him for about thirty minutes and he didn't bark once!!!

I went home and told Husband I had a good feeling about this dog.. He eye rolled and sighed. Then we both looked at Max, our super amazing old dog and agreed that he needed a buddy!!!  Plus, I dropped my favorite line, "Happy Wife, Happy Life!" Honestly I sealed the deal when I told him this dog was free...his favorite word..F-R-E-E ... And she was throwing in a dog bed and an entire bag of puppy chow. I don't tease him for his cheapness for nothing.. He couldn't pass this offer up!

We are thrilled to introduce Maverick! He's just a love and we've spent the weekend toting him to football games, playing with him in the yard and watching Maverick and Max figure each other out. I believe pets teach empathy and compassion...in our household our kids have a lot of responsibility for the dogs...and they are just fun to have!!! 

Our first picture!

Look at that face!!

Max isn't sure he understands what's happening!!!?!??

My dog lover!!! TJ was very worried about Max. I love this kid and his sensitive heart. 

She's been toting him around like a baby all weekend. 

               Kisses!!

Good plan Maverick...win daddy over through football!

Husband and his new buddy watching football together!

Beau doesn't sit still long enough to get a picture. He's been the one working on leash training Maverick. Oh and skateboard riding...but Maverick wasn't loving the skateboard riding. Sigh. 

The First Day of School!

Our 7th, 3rd, and 1st grader! 

This is the first time they all start on the same day...for the past few years Finley started about a week later as a pre-schooler/kindy. Everyone up together today!!

My dad took Finley on the first day because it's too hard for me to sneak away on the first morning of school...she was so excited and thankfully Katy took some pics for me! 

This would be a fabulous wedding slide show shot in 20 years, but I think they will end up having that close brother-sister friendship. Either way these two kids are hilarious!! 

The first week is 3 short days...but the early rising and busy after school time apparently kicked their buns. 

Thank goodness for a three day weekend. Only 37 more Fridays until summer vacation! 

Adios Summer!

We've been back in school for a few weeks and technically summer is over, but the weather was so glorious today we had to squeeze in one more day of boating. It has been an amazing summer on the water..we were discussing that today with our good friends who we frequently boat with. Our kids spend days and days at the lake and we love the memories that we are creating!

This summer TJ learned to single ski by dropping one! He was proud of himself, but really wanted to start on just one ski like his dad. His determination with things like this is impressive and he accomplished his goal today by deep water starting on a single! So cool!

Finley is a water skier too!! She pops right up each time and has totally figured it out!! Even when she falls in the middle of the lake she is able to figure out what she needs to do and start again without any help! 

Our spirited middle child water skied a few times but is so nervous about falling in the middle of the lake that both Husband and I gave up harassing him to ski. He'll do it more when he's ready...he's the most naturally athletic child we have, yet it's very funny the things he likes and doesn't like. Watching Shark Week didn't help his fear of the water....Beau did master his dive this summer, without any help or guidance. He's a fish and prefers to wear his diving mask and "scuba" around the rocks most of the time. 

What I love most about our days on the lake is the blissful relaxation. We've mastered our prep work and easily throw all of our stuff together so it's not a big stressful deal. We eat a lot of hot dogs, chips, watermelon and cookies...we drink a lot of beer and take a lot of naps in the sun. We laugh, tell stories, watch the kids play, and just unplug from the world. A true blessing that I'm very thankful for and I wouldn't trade the fun days and good friends we share this with for anything. 

Buried alive!!

Playing on the whale rock. 

BFF's...such great memories with such sweet kids. 

I'm still working on bringing the visor back. It will happen..I bought this one at Nordstrom. They know what's going on!

Heading in for the day..last trip of the season. 

Getting Ready...

It is almost Back to School...which means glorious summer is over and our scheduled, busy lives begin again.  Every year I feel more and more prepared for the start of school and all the activities and running around that comes along with it.

This summer I was really fortunate to attend a training based on the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and walked away after the week feeling like I had been refreshed on ways to manage my life and be a better overall person.  I love stuff like that...it's like a mental tune-up!  I was able to examine what is really important, how to better manage my time, and not live in quadrant 3-4 (with mindless/wasteful behavior/actions/feelings).  I'm such a huge believer in reflection and the idea that we can only control ourselves...and when things make you feel icky, cut them out if you feel they are dragging you down.  This can be a thing or a person...or even a mindset.

So as I look to the next 9 months which will be filled with school, homework, house work, practice, games, piano lessons, church, and (hopefully) some social time I'm focused on managing my time effectively, letting go of what I can't control (or don't want to control), and making sure to sharpen my saw in order to be the best mom, wife, daughter, friend, and employee possible.

In the mean time we have a few days left and our family is squeezing in as much fun as possible.

Kicking Off Football Season!

Last Friday we went to the Seahawks preseason home opener against San Diego. Last year we took both boys and learned not to do that again...Beau is too young. The stadium is too loud. He didn't enjoy it for the expense it costs to do a Seahawks game. Maybe when he's about 10 we will try it again. So we took TJ and Papa and had a great time.  We bought tickets from a friend who has awesome season tickets on the 40yrd line about 6 rows up. Our vantage point was amazing and the feel of the stadium was electric. Even with a blowout score, it didn't feel like a preseason game! Hoping for another awesome Seahawks season. 

Before the game we enjoyed hanging out in Safeco watching the Mariners game on a giant big screen. 

Basically Done! Kitchen Remodel Part III!

I'm happy to say we are practically done with our kitchen remodel!  There are a few small details that need to be completed (we are waiting on two floor transition pieces) and a bit of trim work left to do, however in terms of a functioning kitchen...we are done!  And I love it.

It wasn't going to take a lot to make me happy; our previous kitchen was over a half-century old, small dark and lacking functionality.  It was closed off from the rest of the house and despite every effort to utilize our large family room, we always ended up crowded in the kitchen.  I did not enjoy cooking in our old kitchen and as the kids got older it was definitely apparent how we had truly outgrown the small space.

Our new layout is bright, open, and has so much counter top space I don't even know what to do with myself.  I'm happy to say Husband and I worked really well as a team and only had a few small moments of bickering.  He is such a hard worker and I think he even surprised himself with what he was able to do.  Our kitchen is now a place our family can enjoy, eat, cook, and not feel crowded. I'm very happy this project is done...I'm happy it's the last BIG item on our home improvement list (according to me...Husband has another idea for next summer...) but more than anything I'm so proud that we accomplished this goal together.  It truly was a labor of love that we had been planning and saving for.  It feels awesome to see all of our hard work come to fruition and begin making memories in our new kitchen.

This is where the old wall was...with the 1950's pass through.  

Hindsight is always 20/20!  Looking back on this experience and reflecting on what I've learned, here is my top ten list for surviving a (mostly) do-it yourself kitchen remodel:

1.  Do your research and have an idea about what you want (Pinterest!) 

2.  Get realistic about cost!

3.  Have a plan...Be flexible when things don't go according to the plan!

4.  Know when to hire someone for things you can't do...it was money well spent to have someone dry wall for us and professionally put in our counter tops

5.  Be realistic about time!  Too many HGTV shows about kitchen remodels in a week are so FAKE!

6.  Don't try to live in your house if you are gutting your kitchen...too much added stress and too much Taco Bell for dinner. 

7.  Be kind and supportive to your husband/spouse.  There were moments when things were stressful and telling Husband how thankful I was for him and/or proud of him felt so much nicer than griping at him.  Don't get me wrong...I did gripe.  But I tried to be more positive than naggy.  Naggy wives are the worst!

8.  Keep every receipt/email/order confirmation number that you make.  

9.  When in doubt..YouTube!  It was amazing what we were able to learn by watching YouTube videos!

10.  When you start to feel overwhelmed; pause, take a breath, and let go of what you can't control.  When moments of stress were high I simply reminded myself that remodeling our kitchen was a good problem to have.  We are very fortunate and there was no need to get pissy about this situation.  

Both Husband and I would most definitely do this project again...however I'm SO THANKFUL we don't have to!