{weekend/rewind}

We started our weekend Friday with a playdate with some friends. We painted pumpkins and enjoyed lunch together!

All the finished products! :)

Saturday the boys slept in and came into bed with us where we watched Mickey for almost two hours! It was so great to just snuggle and stay warm while listening to the wind whip outside!

Saturday night we headed to Nykerk's for some pizza and pumpkin carving.

The dads hard at work tracing out the boys' tractor designs!

the boy and their finished products

Sunday we slept in, went to church had lunch, enjoyed naps and spent the rest of the day playing outside and inside together. The boys even relaxed together after dinner, for a split second! ;)

I spent the afternoon cleaning and baking pumpkin seeds.

one of my favoritest fall treats!

and when it got dark we lit up the pumpkin for the boys to see! Bentley was pretty excited!

Can't believe this week brings us November, already! We have some fun things ahead this week, and this coming weekend, too! Hope everyone had a great weekend as well, and a wonderful upcoming week!

{friday/favorites}

This week I've decided to share some of my favorite blog posts from other writers whose stories I read.
I read Tabitha's Blog regularly, i'm not exactly sure but I think I found her on Pinterest.

She always have super wonderful things to say, but this post especially resonated with me

This is {my} Brandon and I, to the T!

http://studerteam.blogspot.com/2013/10/1-thing-i-do-regularly-that-makes-my.html

I have been following Kate for a while now, and we have recently built a friendship that has been a great blessing to me. She wrote this wonderful post about noise. Weird that part of my lesson in bible study this week was about how the Devil uses the darkness and quiet to do a lot of his work. Thanks for sharing your words, Kate!

http://sluiternation.com/2013/10/noise/

Since she's been on the bacheloretter (and since I've always been a Nascar & Hendrick family fan) I have started reading Emily's blog. She always has great fashion and beauty advice but I especially loved this post from her this week. She is a true inspiration!
http://emilymaynard.com/blog/love/

Over the summer I read "Unglued" by Lysa TerKeurst. Wonderful book if you are looking for a good read. Anyway, I found her on facebook the other day and "liked" her page. She posts inspiring words and advice throughout the day and it is very refreshing. If you don't follow her already, you should. :)
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialLysa

Hope everyone enjoys this gorgeous fall Friday and has a great weekend too!!

{weekend/rewind}

We spent most of this past weekends staying busy oudoors. Fall is just perfect for that.
We loaded up friday night and brought our rzr over to a friends where we spent time riding through the corn fields and checking out their pig farm!

not surprisingly, the kids had a ball! :)

Saturday morning we got up early and headed up to Whiskey Creek for the annual Camp & Treat weekend. We spent more time outside, riding in the rzr and the ranger with Papa and hitting our favorite hole in the wall tavern for some deep fried goodness! :)
[playing peek a boo at the restaurant]

the boys napped and then we got ready for the costume contest and some trick or treating!

[woody and buzz]

[nana and all 4 of her boys]

[with my guys.]

[hayride with auntie hutta!]

[trick or treating around the campground]

[bentley as really into in this year, and loved yelling trick or treat at every campsite we hit]

[the color up north is just gorg right now. what an amazing artist our God is!]

[we barely hit pavement off the gravel roads before these two both passed out]

it was such a fun time but it felt great to be home, warm and dry. we also {finally} pulled the boat out of the water, and it felt great to have that done too.

overtired-ness led to Harrison's first timeout on Sunday night after dinner.

and an earlier than normal bedtime for both the guys.

Bentley couldn't even stay awake long enough to finish reading what he calls his "God book."

It was a wonderful weekend with family and friends and my heart is full.

I am so blessed by these two little loves and so thankful for all the fun times and fun memories we make together on this earth.

We have kind of a randomly busy week this week. But are looking forward to three days of {{nothing}} on the calendar, coming this weekend. Hope everyone has a great week too!

17months{harrison}

Harrison -

Time continues to fly and you continue to turn into a little dude right in front of our eyes. Seems like so much changes in a month, yet so much stays the same.
You are talking almost non stop. Most things we can understand but some things we cant. I think its safe to say you are a talker. You have more than just a few words and since your brother talks non stop, you talk non stop now too. Yes, you still copy every thing he does. Or at least try.
You are still our good eater and sleeper. And you are slowing outgrowing all the 18 month clothes and ready for 24 month and even some 2T. Its mind blowing, my love. It just doesnt seem like you can be that big already!
You are still our snuggler and love to cuddle but become more independent by the day. You want to do things yourself, without help {including eating yogurt} and you want to do things you have never done or tried to do before because you see Bentley doing them.
You are all things boy. You even got upset the other day when your brother got to mow the lawn with Grampa and you had to watch with me and Gramma. It wont be long and Grampa, Papa and Daddy are not going to get away with taking just one of you, anywhere. :)
You are true blessing little love. You have a wild zest for life and are always smiling. We cannot wait to watch you continue to grow! We love you so much, Harrison Lee!


17 month comparison. I still think you could be twins, although you are starting to have your own look.

{weekend/rewind}

We have been busy busy busy! We had not one.single.thing on the calendar for the weekend so we took full advantage of relaxing and spending time together. It was wonderful!

Friday night we grilled out and played outside together. I also snuck away for a quick power walk with my bestie. Life has been happening lately and we have been struggling to find time to be together. Our short walk was just what I needed! :) Thanks Sar!

Saturday morning, we did not sleep in. Because my guys think waking up at 6 everyday all of a sudden is super cool. It was a beautiful day so we packed up our bikes and were going to go to the farm and ride. But Gramma put us to work first, instead.

we pulled out all her perennials and dumped them in the burn pile.

my boys love little projects like this!

then we rode bikes. Poor Harrison can hardly see under his helmet!

heading down the driveway to see if we can see Grampa coming in the tractor!

There he is!!!! The boys didn't hesitate for one second in ditching their bikes and jumping in with Grampa instead!

Then it was off to lunch at the Dipper for the last time before they close for the year.

Saturday night we got together with some friends and their kids to watch Nascar and the Tigers. So fun, but too busy with all the kids running around to even snap one pic! Maybe next time...

Sundays are quickly becoming my very favoritest day of the whole entire week.

We always have cinnamon rolls. Which the boys love so much they even stand in front of the oven so they can watch them cook! :)

I also love going to church. I look forward to it all week long.

And this year Bentley has started sunday school which has been super fun to watch him learn and grow about faith.

This week he came home with a "burning tree" that he made!

Sundays also usually mean nice long naps, for all of us. Which again, I love.

They also mean a lot of book reading. :)

It was perfect weekend with my guys. It's been wonderful to soak up all these times with them -- they are so fleeting. Hope everyone had a great weekend as well, and has a wonderful week this week!!

a refreshing point of view.

some of you may have seen this circulating facebook already, but i thought it was worth sharing.
this husband of a stay at home mom/wife makes some very valid points about the perception vs reality that our society has of SAHM's.
It was thought provoking for me as well, as a stay at home mom, and how I sometimes perceive my day to day duties as a mom and wife. Its easy to get wrapped up in the mundane, the cleaning, the laundry, etc. but I have to remember that I am raising, training, molding and shaping God's next generation...both earthly and eternal. What a refreshing thought when things get tough!

If you do take a second to read, I hope you enjoy as much as I did!  :)

http://themattwalshblog.com/2013/10/09/youre-a-stay-at-home-mom-what-do-you-do-all-day/

Bentley's {first} Field Trip ::3school::

This week I was able to accompany Bentley on his first field trip with his three school class.

We left home a few minutes early and grabbed a donut for breakfast.

I'm usually very picky about what they eat to start the day, so this was a big treat!

We walked a few blocks from school down to a local park where the kids played and enjoyed snack time.

so fun to watch Bentley interact with other children.

and learn that he and this dude are quickly becoming partners in crime.

(and noisy, their teacher says.)

group pic before our walk back!

I am so thankful and so blessed that I am home and able to spend days like this with my guys. It was the perfect fall morning and it was so fun to spend time with these sweet little loves!

{weekend/rewind}

This might be my favorite time of year, other than summer.
I just love cool nights, sweaters, boots and all things fall!

Friday night we took the boys downtown for the Fire Truck Parade.

Bentley and Koda made sure to be front row and wave at every one!

Saturday we got up and went to check out pumpkin fest in Zeeland with Auntie Nenn & Soy.

The boys loved seeing all the critter barn animals...though Harrison was a little shy at first!

We grabbed lunch and came back home where the boys took short naps while Brandon and I got ready for a wedding.

A very dear friend and old roomate of mine got married.

We got to see lots of friends we haven't seen in a while too, so that is always fun!

The boys hung with Miss Casey & Kevin while we were gone and they went back downtown for the Pumpkin fest parade and spent sometime playing outside.

We are looking forward to another busy week! :)

Happy Monday, hope you enjoy your week.

{friday/favs}

favorite beard:

(bentley says, "hey mom, look! my brother looks like Santa Clause!"

favorite everything:

*this man*

favorite weather:

perfect for long walks and bike rides!

favorite new:

a) perch for the bossy guy in the house

b) ottoman, handcrafted by my awesome brother in law!

Happy Friday! Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!!