Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving down in Atlanta at my sister’s house along with my parents.  It was a big family gathering (at least to my small family it is) not just to celebrate Thanksgiving together but to also welcome our newest member, sweet little baby Ivy.  Yes, after 3 boys (now ages 11, 8, and 6) my sister and her husband had a baby girl in early November.  We were all so very excited to meet and hold Ivy—in fact that’s about all I took pictures of over Thanksgiving, everyone playing hot potato with Ivy. 

{ella definitely held ivy the most over the weekend. she was smitten.  ella even ordered one up from us, a baby sister that is.  in a moment of weakness i actually thought about it…yes, ivy is that sweet.}
 

Jack’s Fall Soccer Season

Jack had another great season of soccer this fall.  His soccer skills have really developed over the past year—he has great ball-handling skills which, coupled with his agility, means he can maneuver the ball down the field around opponents and now he can really get his foot on the ball for some strong, well-aimed shots.  Jack scored the most goals for his team each and every game.  And on defense—the boys get time on both offense and defense during each game—I call him the “gnat” because he is everywhere, so fast and so aggressive.  More than any of that, though—and I never thought I’d say this about Jack at this age—he was the most mature kid on his team and proved to be a leader among his peers.  His team was a nice group of boys, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t hope he gets at least a few more players on his team next season who actually want to take the game a little more seriously, like Jack.  Yes, I just said that, without a hint of sarcasm—more serious like Jack.  What can I say, Jack is a true sportsman.  It’s a joy to watch him play.

Nonni & Papa Visit

The weekend before Thanksgiving my parents came up for a visit with us.  We had one nice day weather-wise until the temps dropped dramatically.  So, we took advantage of the nice weather while we had it and went on a little hike to Big Rock Park.  After wandering around the trails a bit and climbing the rocks, we headed back home to enjoy our new outdoor fireplace and some mulled wine.  The rest of their stay, we played some games, cooked (prep for Thanksgiving), and just hung out.  On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, my parents drove the kids and I down with them to my sister’s house to spend Thanksgiving (and meet our new little niece, Ivy). 

Jack at School

Jack has an amazing teacher for 2nd grade and he is an incredible student.  We couldn’t be more proud of his performance at school—his teacher sees it as a special project to make sure he’s challenged.  He’s also kind of a class clown and his classmates think he’s a lot of fun.  I love getting glimpses into school life for Ella and Jack, although it’s gets tougher starting with 2nd grade.  I’m seldom in Jack’s classroom so I appreciate every opportunity I get.  One afternoon this fall I had the chance to help facilitate a literacy lesson that involved decorating cookies (always a hit with the kids). 

Gator

We love our furry little pup.  I still call him puppy because he’s so playful and soft and stinkin’ cute.  Over the past year, though, he’s definitely been showing his age—losing muscle tone, sleeping more, taking longer to get his rear end up, developing cataracts.  Last year, he’s had several health issues, too—anemia, elevation of his white blood cell count, severe changes in his nose.  All of this, after several tests, scans, vet appointments, had led to a, by process of elimination, diagnosis of Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE).  So, just like any senior (he’s 10 now), he’s got a daily line-up of a handful of meds.  He seems to still love me even though I shove anywhere from 6 to 9 pills down his throat each day…although, each dose is followed up by several treats.  He does love his treats—it’s hard to get him to eat most days (he’s a picky one, changes his mind constantly about what he will and will not eat, and has been known to go on hunger strikes until we cook some bacon) but he’ll always chow down on treats.  When he finds his joy, though, that’s when he’s a puppy.  He can still play a mean game of fetch for as long as anyone’s willing and he happily goes on 3.5+ mile trail hikes with me every week.  He’s always been quite the outdoorsman.  He’s a special, one-of-a-kind pup and we love his quirky personality.  He fits with us perfectly. 
This is just a quick picture of him I took when I was trying out a new lens.  Yes, I got another lens…but, in my defense, I sold two others to pick up this one (a 35mm 1.4G).

Renaissance Festival

In early November we spent a lovely day at the Renaissance Festival.  We used to go every year with our friends the Miners, but we’d missed the last few years because fall has gotten so busy.  I’m so glad we were able to fit it in this year—always a fun time and a great day spent with our friends.  I barely got my camera out that day—just a few pictures to mark the day.









{london broil—by far our favorite show each time we make it to the ren fest.  hilarious.}

Instagrammin’ in November

Another busy month—full of fall activities, travel, and good times with family and friends.
early morning tennis lessons for ella. | the renaissance festival. #huzzah | orcs at the ren fest! #lotrgeeks | the tree man #renfest | i’m not sure how this going to work, but he insisted. #toothlesswonder | how she spent her $5 at the ren fest. | sunday school | hope you did, too! | hard to believe this perfect girl gets picked on for being little. | our new niece ivy was born #11092013 | tennis in the driveway. #clevernet | veteran’s day tennis partners. | havin’ fun in philly. #congratstojuliaandbrian | early morning in philly. | nice weekend away with the hubby. | LOVE this—jonathan has an amazing, loving, fun family. #bestwishestojuliaandbrian | happy 38th to jonathan! | one of his bday presents. #mancrush #kuechly #nicetush | cutest little wolf cub out there. | girl scouts skating night. | big rock park. | he replaced my brake pads. #stamphismancard | date night to the movies! #catchingfire #sosogood | took this crew on a 3-mile walk. | ivy! ella said, “mom, when she’s my age i’ll be off to college.” #sniffsniff | happy thanksgiving! | sad to think about how much this sweet baby girl will have changed by the time we see her next.