First Day of October

FUN FRIDAY

I didn't take pictures of it...honestly didn't think about it until today when I decided to update my blog...but it would have been nice to capture on film. Another Friday.

So, we decided at least a year ago that we should celebrate Fridays as "Fun Fridays" by watching a family movie and popcorn, playing board games together, or hanging out with other family or friends. Everybody in the family loved the idea, so as much as possible, we've tried to do this. Lately, we've taken advantage of Me N Eds $10 large pizza deal. I'll call Russ when I am out of work and heading out of the parking lot so he can call the pizza order in (Pepperoni and Pineapple...Ethan takes pineapple off and gives it to Rebecca and Kendall takes pepperoni off "too spicy" she says) and I swing by the restaurant on my way home to be the hero with hot pizza in hand. $10 for feeding 5 people is a great deal and nice way to start our weekends lately. 

This Friday we watched Soul Surfer for the 2nd time. It's a great family movie based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton - a young girl who lost her arm to a shark attack while surfing. Rebecca absolutely loves the movie and insists in addition to being a cowgirl and owning horses on a ranch when she grows up (the movie Flicka contributed to that dream) she now wants to be a surfer girl. She's a little conflicted at the moment of how she can do both. The first time we watched it a few weeks back, Ethan made Russ and I bust up laughing when at one point in the movie he grabbed his arm and said "Man, I don't know why but this movie is making my arm hurt." He wasn't trying to be funny but nonetheless, we had to pause the movie until we had controlled ourselves again. 

After the kids were tucked in bed I read almost an entire book a friend from work loaned me the same day.

She warned me that once I started reading it I would be done with it in about 2 hours. She was right. It is called Heaven is Real and is about a 4 yr old boy who says he went to heaven while being operated on for a ruptured appendix. The father wrote the book about what the little boy Colton saw and experienced. I have to admit I'm extremely skeptical about individuals intentions and what is true when it comes to subject matter of heaven and angels. This book captivated me though and because it is a child's experience I was intrigued. Though I have been a Christian for pretty much my entire life, there are many things I still can't wrap this little brain around. I LOVE the innocence of children and I do believe that what this little boy shared with his family and others is just one more way God chooses to use the little ones to teach us about Himself.

SATURDAY - OCTOBER 1ST

Rebecca and Ethan had 2 soccer games in a row this morning beginning at 8am. It was a beautiful, cool morning. They are getting better and better each week and the games are really fun to watch. It's amazing how much more coordinated the kids are in this age bracket of play (8 & 9 yr olds) than last year's. It was entertaining before watching the players cluster around the ball the entire time but really exciting now that they can control the ball and start playing field positions. While the older two play, Kendall has made a friend with another little girl whose 2 sisters play on the same team as ours. Kendall and this little girl play their American Girl dolls together and are very cute. It is so sweet how quickly kids become instant friends. It gives something Kendall to look forward to on Thurs night practices and Saturday games. 

Ethan is in red shirt on right

Rebecca keeping the ball from going out of bounds.

After the 2nd game, Russ took Ethan to one of his school friend's birthday party. The girls and I headed off to the Girl Scout store as Rebecca was anxious to spend her cookie dollars she earned from selling GS cookies this past year and to get her Junior vest now that she is bridging up from Brownies this year. She is so cute to watch as she carefully contemplates what to get with her money and adding her items up as she shops. One of the sweetest parts of being a parent is seeing your children play together and be generous to the other. Today at the GS store, Rebecca asked Kendall if she would like to pick one of the stuffed guinea pigs like she was getting and then also let her pick a spider ring too. Totally on her own. Kendall wasn't asking for anything and I didn't suggest it. It was just so touching to witness what a generous spirit Rebecca has. 

Girls showing off their new items. Rebecca was excited to start a new charm bracelet too. 1st charm she chose to buy was the soccer ball.

I needed to get some grocery shopping done today too so the girls tagged along to Sam's Club with me but first we stopped at The Habit in Fig Garden Village for lunch. Great food for not a lot of money....grilled cheese, fries dipped in Ranch for Rebecca, chicken strips and applesauce for Kendall and I got the grilled BBQ chicken sandwich on sourdough with grilled onions. The three of us shared a vanilla shake together....Yummy! Fun to share a sit-down lunch meal with just the girls. 

The girls did great helping me get the shopping done. Only one small, almost melt-down, when Rebecca saw Soul Surfer movie and insisted I buy it because Dad told her we weren't going to rent it from Red Box anymore but instead would just buy it. I tried explaining that Dad did not mean that meant we were buying it today but instead meant eventually we would buy it. But there is no reasoning with that girl when she gets something stuck in her head. She got over it eventually but kept arguing for 2 more aisles. I guess she got tired of my unresponsiveness. It's hard for me not to argue back with her sometimes but I've learned it goes no where with her and just have to let her rant sometimes until it is out of her system or it can escalate between the two of us. Can just imagine what the teenage years are going to look like. 

Finished the evening off sitting on the outside patio with the kids and Russ. Girls drinking one of their favorite snacks...homemade smoothie, and I enjoyed a glass of wine...okay maybe 2 glasses. Beautiful evening watching the sunset from our own backyard.