Thanksgiving was a busy but fun week with these two little turkeys!  Wednesday morning we headed to the library for a turkey themed toddler time, a little playtime and to get some water themed books.

 Before we headed out to run some errands a few weeks ago, we stopped by Panera for some breakfast.  It was a fun morning with my two little boys. :)

Love these two sillies!  Austin wants to do EVERYTHING Aedan does these days (cutest thing ever!), so of course when Aedan wanted to eat his oatmeal in the box, Austin grabbed his off the counter and headed that way too.:)

The other day in the car Aedan and I were talking about grace.  About a year ago, he did something he shouldn't have, and I told him that I was going to give him a little grace this time.  He asked what that was and I told him that it was when you didn't get the punishment that you deserved.  A few days later, we were in the car and he did something he shouldn't have.  I told him that he was going to get a consequence when we got home.  He said, "Mommy, can I have a little grease?  Please Mommy, a little grease?"  I guessed a few times incorrectly as to what he was talking about.  Then, he said, "You know Mommy, when you don't give me the consequence?  A little grease."  One of my favorite little things he's said.  Grace will always be affectionately be called "grease" in our house.

Anyway, fast forward a year, and the same scenario--he did something he wasn't supposed to and asked for some grace.  (He now says it correctly--so sad!)  I asked him what grace was and we talked some about Jesus dying on the cross for us so we could go to heaven.  He's been getting in trouble a lot some days and telling me that he tries to be good but keeps doing the wrong thing.  So we've been talking about how we all mess up and we all need God and Jesus, because Jesus was the only perfect person ever.

I have no idea what I'm doing and I definitely stumble over my words as we talk, but I'm trying.  I want him to know about Jesus and about how we're all messed up.  And I want him to know how much Jesus loves him and that grace is so much more than not getting a consequence from us.

Just a kinda cool moment with Aedan--the start of hopefully a lifetime of conversations with this precious boy about God.  I love him so much and love his heart.  I pray that God gives us grace in parenting him and am so thankful that God is pricking his heart to think about Jesus.

 

About a week before Halloween, our small group gets together every year for a Brandon Blackburn event called Iron Pumpkin--a pumpkin carving contest.   This year, the Manges' hosted and it was in their garage because it was raining outside.  It's always fun to see the pumpkins. Soon though, I think the kids are going to want to carve too!

After we took pictures of the kiddos in their shirts, it was game time!  First up--duck, duck, goose.  It was seriously so much fun with these little ones!  And it was a gorgeous day, so that always makes everything more enjoyable. :)

The other night, we took the dogs on a little walk around our section of the neighborhood and the boys LOVED it!  We need to do it more often--both for them and because it's good for our pups!:)

 So, when Blue Bell was back at Kroger, Landon took some up to his work as a thank you etc, on the day he said good bye to people.  He also got us one, just for fun.  Well, Aedan has discovered the goodness of ice cream, and was fully aware it was in there.  One morning, after we had been awake for a bit, Austin woke up and I went back in there to lay down with him for a minute, so he'd go back to sleep.  Well, after a few minutes, Aedan comes in and sits on the bed.  I notice he has a cup but assume it's his cereal, because that's how he and Landon eat cereal these days.  Then, I notice it's not cereal.  When I ask him what it is, he smiles and says "ice cream."  The little stinker had finished off the last of the Blue Bell, ha!  I laughed so hard.  Love him so.

This year I turned 33.  It was a good day--thankful to be right where I am in life, with these people that God has given me. Landon was so sweet to get up early and get me some yummy goodies from Panera to start the day.  And I woke up to him and Aedan having decorated our island--love these sweet boys!

Before Labor Day weekend, the office was at a good place, but we were kinda wishing we just had the weekend at home with 3 full days to get it done.  But, that wasn't in the cards, and then we had our small group's annual retreat the next weekend, so it was put on hold for a few weeks.

This year for Labor Day weekend, we got together with Landon's siblings again--this time in Austin.  Kenna and James flew into Houston and then drove there with us, and Logan and Elizabeth just met us there.  We rented a house for the weekend (if ever there was an UN-kid friendly house, this was it, ha!) and just hung out.  We cooked good food, swam in the pool, floated the river, had some good conversations and caught up.

The toddler pool by us stayed open during the week until Labor Day weekend, so that Thursday, I loaded the boys up one last time to head to the pool and we had a blast!  So sad the pool was closing for the summer, especially since it stayed hot for a long time this year!