September 2014

riding the wagon out to the orchard

 Wow I remember just the other day wishing that August would end already and September would get here and now its October!  September seems to have flown by. We are definitely back into a full fall schedule and liking it.  We had yet another month with wonderful weather.  Lots of 70 and 80 degree days.  The 80's have been great all the way to the end of September but I think Im ready to put away the shorts, t-shirst, and flip-flops and get out the jeans, long sleeve shirts and again.  

Grant and Grandma picking

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree

Will and Beth:

Will and I have both been racking up the miles all month long training for our Half marathon at the end of October.  Will does his long runs on his nights off in the middle of the night around town.  I usually do mine early in the morning when he gets home from work.  We are both up to 10 miles so just one or two more long training runs and it'll be race time!  

boys with both grandmas and grandpas

The garden has amazingly still been producing all month long.  A handful or raspberries most day (which I eat on my cereal every morning), Cherry tomatoes but definitiely at a much slower rate, and some green peppers and jalapenoes too.  I made pizza sauce out of my tomato stockpile and it turned out pretty good.  

At the very beginning of the month mom and I had a yardsale.  It was a slow start but it really picked up in the afternoon and we ended up selling off most all the big stuff we wanted too.  We both made a couple hundred bucks and we have more room in our basements now.  Win Win!

the Fruits of our labor

We had a nice visit from Farm Grandma and Grandpa.  Grandma Kay and Grandpa Jerry arrived late Friday evening and got to stay till after lunch on Monday.  On Saturday we took them down the great river road to Alton and Grafton Illinois.  Then we did some apple picking at the Grafton Eckerts.  We all enjoyed the views of the river during the drive but the highlight for Rex was seeing a real life size pirate ship sailing down the river!  Grant loved the tractor ride out and back to pick apples.  The on Sunday we all headed to church and even meet up with Grandma Cindy and Papa Rex for church and lunch.  The boys were in heaven having both sets of Grandparents in the same place!  We are heading to Kansas next month so it wont be long till we see them again. 

Will has been playing indoor soccer all month and also found out about a pick up game that goes on most Thursdays in town.  He has played there twice (on his Thursdays he isn't working) and enjoyed it.  Will also participated in a neat memorial event on September 11th.  It was held at Monks Mound of Cahokia Mounds historical site.  Participants were given a name of one of the first responders whodied at the twin towers. Then they could choose to climb the steps on the mound 5, 6, or 9 times.  Each one symbolic of something that happened that day.  Will chose 9 and climbed the equivalent of the 110 stories of the World trade center.

picking Jonathons

happy helper

My MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group started back up this month.  It is the first and third Tuesday of each month.  I am coordinating the finance again.  We made some changes from last year and with the day, time, and childcare and so far it is all going really well.  We have a bunch of new ladies coming already.  Im really excited for our group this year and what all we have planned.

If you look closely you will see about 50 army men all over this castle

Rex:

A Rexie Grandma Sandwich at church.

Rex was excited to go back to school but at the same time it has been an adjustment for him.  It took about 2 weeks for him to not be crying when I left everyday (althought I think some of this was just for the sake of drama and not because he was really all that sad) but now he's got some buddies now and knows the teachers and the routine and is having a lot of fun at school.  He comes home with many painted, colored, cut, and glued projects every day.  He also has a new meal time prayer and has been telling me about the pledge of allegiance.

Rex on his first day of school with one of his teachers Miss Nicole.

thats my boy

Rex and I have been working very hard on a extra special lego project that I hope to get a post up about very soon.  I started getting fall clothes out for Rex this month and he definitely didn't fit in any of the 2T stuff from last spring, but he didn't really fit in 3T either. I can't believe it we are in 4T clothes.  

Grant:

saying goodbye to Grandma Kay

GRANT: 

Well Grant is still rocking the RANT that is in GRANT, but hey he's two.  He is really doing well in his big boy bed.  He is napping almost every day of the week and he is doing great at bedtime staying in bed and going to sleep.  I'm very proud of him.  He usually wakes up between 6-7 am, usually closer to 6 than 7.

Grant by the castle he and Grandpa Jerry built.

Grant is not very interested in eating these days.  When I ask him what he wants to eat he tells me Milk and water and he means it.  If he has 2 glasses on the table full of milk and water he seriously does not care what the rest of us are eating.  Grant and I are enjoying our 3 mornings a week for just he and I to hang out.  We usually do and errand or two on the way home from dropping Rex off at school and then we come home and hang out till lunch (well lunch for me....Milk and water for Grant) and its time to go get Rex.  When Rex is here he really does kinda dictate what we do and we are usually happy to go along with it but it is nice to have just Grant here and let me figure out what he wants to do with out anyone telling him.  He really likes to play with his red wagon full of sand and he has also been leading me on treks through the woods trails in our backyard looking for treasure.  We both carry kid rakes that are our weapons and he calls himself "captain beard" and talks very gruffly. 

Brothers.....actually getting along.

Picnic at the park

big boots to fill