Pumpkin Patch

We stayed at my sister Hollys house this past weekend and took the kids, Caiden and Hailey and my nephew carson who just turned 3 to the pumpkin patch. We usually take the kids every year to one around here but since we were there for carsons birthday we decided to all go together. I really like the one we go to here, Burnhams Orchard, it has hay rides, corn mazes and other things for the kids to do. This one that we went to in columbus ws okay but seemed to be more for younger children, there was no corn maze and the hayride wasnt much of a hayride but in the end the kids had fun and thats all that matters:)

Caiden, Carson, Hailey

Trying to find the perfect pumpkin

Hiding in the haystacks

Love this picture of caiden

Hailey loves her carmel apples:)

Love my kiddos ♥

Hailey always cracks me up, she can never keep her eyes open in the sunlight

...but now i see where she gets it from, obvisouly i cant either lol

After we got home from there we started carving our pimpkins. This is something that i love doing with my kids and hope they will enjoy it enough to do it with theirs when they are older. It is one of my favorite childhood memories and really enjoy sharing it with my kids. ♥

Hailey digging out her pumpkin

Caiden digging out his pumpkin

Caidens finished pumpkin

Haileys finished pumpkin

I am absolutely in love with Hailey's school pictures this year, i cant believe how good they turned out, she looks beautiful ♥

We ♥ Football:)

We took the kids to the Michigan vs. Massachusetts game a couple weeks back. It was Caidens 2nd game ever and Hailey's 1st. We have been waiting till we thought she was old enough to go and with her being such a die hard fan, this was the year.

It started out alittle rough with her whining and wanting to be held and wanting nothing to do with the game but after about the first quarter she started to get into it (once i finally went and got snacks:)

She loved being there and cheering...and it helped that we won 58-0 too. It was the perfect game to take them to, it wasn't a close game so we didn't have to pay close attention, we watched but also kept her occupied and helped her get into the game. She's only 5 so it's alot to ask of her to sit in one spot for 3 hours strait but she did great!

Caiden really loved going this year! He watched the entire game and really got into it! His first game was 2 years ago when he was 6 and like Hailey he was hard to keep entertained but this year was different, it was fun to watch how much he loved it. Going to games is something brad and i have started doing 4 years ago and now absolutely love doing and plan on doing every year, so to know that the kids are both to an age where we can start taking them to 1 game a year with us is pretty exciting! For now at least it will only be 1 game a year, I'm sure the older they get the more they will want to go...these game are addicting, being around the crowd and part of the stadium is like being in a whole different world and now that they have both experienced it and both love it I'm sure they will be asking more often to go to the games with us:)

Haileys "styling"

Although Hailey doesn't have pictures today, she defiantly didn't want to be outdone by her brother, so she had to look "styling" (those were her words) for school today too:)

Oh this little girl has no idea...or maybe she does...how much she has me and her dad wrapped around her finger. Although she's defiantly got her dad wrapped the tightest lol. He tries to act so tough and have the attitude of "I'm the boss you do what i say" but the minute he has yelled and she starts to tear up or even just act upset, he gives. Whether its alittle smile or a wink, she's ends up winning. I just sit back and laugh because he tries so hard to take control but for some reason it just doesn't happen. She's my little diva girl, loves all things that glitter. Everyday is a dress up day for her, I love to watch her because she just loves life. I cant image not having these 2 to brighten my day, there's always something to look forward to.

Today was school pictures for caiden. He is so funny, because he's alittle shy and not very outspoken but when he thinks he looks like a stud (lol) you should see him strut his stuff:)

I just cant believe how old he's looking in the past year.

I want time to slow down. My kids are growing up faster than i want them to. I was going through my nightstand in my bedroom yesterday and found old picture of caiden when he was 2 or 3 and I cant help but miss my little boy so much looking at them. Don't get me wrong, i love every stage that I've experienced so far with him but he no longer has that baby look or that chubby smile:) I have saved every card I've ever gotten for mothers day and birthdays and there was one where brad traced his hand print and caiden helped write his name in it, he was 2. Now i look at him and he's so grown up and handsome, almost 9 years old. We must have done something right with him, he's growing up to be a very respectful handsome young man! Mom and Brad love you bub ♥

Saw this today and it made me think of my children:)

We need to teach our DAUGHTERS
the difference between

A man who FLATTERS her
and a man who COMPLIMENTS her.
A man who SPENDS MONEY on her
and a man who INVESTS in her.
A man who views her as PROPERTY
and a man who views her PROPERLY.
A man who LUSTS her
and a man who LOVES her.
A man who believes HE is GODS GIFT to women
and a man who remembers WOMAN was GOD'S GIFT to MAN.

and then teach OUR SONS TO BE THAT KIND OF MAN. ♥

Smokey Mountains

Well it made it to Tennessee and back with no troubles:)
Brad and I had the best vacation we have ever had together. It was an 8 hour drive there, which turned into more like 9 after getting lost on a dirt road going strait up a mountain, probably more scared than i have ever been in my life, but we finally got turned around and made it to the cabin in one piece. We had rented a 4 story cabin with my grandma and 3 of her friends, my step mom, dad and brother, and my aunt and uncle. We were alittle worried about getting some time for just me and brad to relax and spend together with so many people in the house but it all worked out perfect.
The first night there we played some games down in the game room with my brother, then Brad and I went out to the hot tub on the 3rd floor balcony that overlooked a mountain side. It was so pretty and so perfect! It was a great way to start our vacation!
The next day everyone went zip lining except for me and brad, we stayed back to do our own things for the day...we went on a walk trying to pick another cabin to rent next year, took a bubble bath and had a bottle of wine at noon....







that's a big deal for us, never in 8 years of being together have we done that lol, took about a 2 hour nap then went into a town called gatilenburg for the evening. They have shops every where so we just walked around, went to eat and sampled everything we could (mostly moonshine and homemade wine:) Before we left we went up the sky lift over the side of a mountain, i was alittle nervous at first, i really don't like to do things that i think may kill me but I'm so glad i did, the view was amazing and just sitting there with brad watching it all and relaxing made our trip worth it.

The next day we woke up early and went to an area on top of the mountains where my grandpa used to love to visit and we all spread his ashes over the side of the mountain. I really have never agreed with being cremated but after watching us all do this and just knowing that instead of a body laying in a casket it is over the side of the mountains that were always visited while he was alive, i think i understand now why some people choose that

Afterwards we went over the mountain into north Carolina and did some shopping. We got both kids a shirt that says smokey mountains and we got caiden a bear claw necklace, he is really into things like that, and we got hailey a dream catcher, she has had a couple bad dreams lately and has been afraid on and off so once showing her it and explaining what it was it put her at ease:)

We ended up just going back to the cabin that night and all spending the evening together since brad and i were leaving the next morning...it was really a night to remember! We played games most of the night, me and my brother on one team and my dad and brad on the other, those two were hilarious and had so much fun, everyone couldn't stop laughing at them...in a good way! I liked to see it because we never really spend much time with that side of the family and i think for the first time ever brad and my dad really connected. Brad is very caring about me and always has my best interest in mind and i think my dad really saw that and really appreciated him for it. There are many stories about that night to tell but i wont embarrass anyone (brad). Lets just say we all know how to have a good time together.

I absolutely loved the mountains, I've never felt more relaxed and happy with my life and my husband. Being there really made me realize how good i have it in life. I have 2 amazing children who i would do anything for but are now getting to the age that i can leave them alittle at a time to spend weekends with someone like my husband who is always there for me and has always been my shoulder to lean on. We have a great time together whether its on vacation, with our children, or just doing our day to day routines. But being in a place like this really makes you stop and think about how lucky you are sometimes. We have talked about going back and maybe taking the kids which i think they would love but then again i feel that this may be "our" place now.

I know my husband keeps up with my blog and i just wanted to send him alittle message:

I have never been more happy in our marriage or our life that we have built together. Every relationship has their ups and downs and we have made it through them all only to come out stronger in the end. We started out very young and very unsure of what our life together would be like but i think that we both knew that if we stuck with it, it would have turned out just like it is today. We have our children our home and each other and i don't think we could ask for more. You are all i will ever need in life. You encourage me to follow my dreams and always push to make me a better person. I wouldn't be who i am today without you beside me. You are my happiness and my true love. I Love You!

Alittle trip

Today i am starting to pack for our trip to Tennessee, this past April my grandpa pasted away from cancer and my grandma, dad and other family members are going to the smokey mountains to spread his ashes. We have rented a 4 story beautiful cabin and i am so excited to get away with just me and Brad but i really cant believe how hard it's getting on me the closer it gets to leave my kids.
I just keep thinking the worst...what if somethings happens while were gone or what if something happens to us...i need to stop thinking this way though and just enjoy the mini vacation.
Both kids will be staying at my moms house while we are gone, we will be dropping them off tomorrow morning (Saturday) and will be getting back late Tuesday night. She has taken Monday and Tuesday off work to watch the kids for us, which was very appreciated because if not we would not have been able to go. So for the next 4 days my mom will be taking them to school and all there sporting events, I'm just so used to doing it all myself that i panic alittle thinking about not being here for them.
From what i have heard the place we are going is absolutely beautiful, i cant wait to see it. Brad and I have our own room with views that overlook the mountains, we still have never taken a honeymoon so even though we will be there with my family i really want to make sure we have enough time for just the two of us to do whatever we want and just enjoy time together...then maybe next year he can take me on a real honeymoon, but this one will do for now.
I'm sure i will have many pictures to post once we get back:)

Its Football time!!!

We love football season, Caiden plays, Michigan Wolverines play and then theres the Browns, I'm not such a huge fan of them but Brad and Caiden are so i guess I'm stuck liking them too.

Caiden plays on 2 flag football teams this year, one here in bellevue and one in Perkins. His sports keep us pretty busy but he loves it and so do we. His perkins team plays on Monday/Wednesdays and the Bellevue team plays Tuesday/Saturday. He has his first game this Saturday and another one Monday. Last night at practice the coaches had him at quarterback and I'm pretty sure he will probably end up playing there for his first game. The thing with caiden in sports is he listens to what they are telling him and catches on very quick, it has alot to do with the fact that him and brad have been out in the yard practicing throwing, catching and running different plays since he was 4. So when the coaches tell him what route to run he knows exactly what they are talking about. Its kinda sad to see some of the kids out there who are caidens age that don't even know how to catch or throw yet, its not really there fault its more the fact that no one has taken the time to show them how.

This isn't just me bragging about my kids but they are pretty advanced in most things they do, mainly though because we have always put the time into our children and have taught them things from a very young age.

I love listening to the coaches talk about how good caiden is and how they really need him at every game...i know its probably just a mom thing but i cant help but smile and repeat what they say any chance i get. I'm always very proud to watch him when he plays sports. He really puts his heart into it and loves every minute of it, the smile or little wave i get from him while sitting on the sideline always makes my day, even though hes all boy he likes to make sure moms always watching♥

Now onto college football...

Last weekend Brad and I went to the first night game ever at the big house vs Notre Dame. It was the most amazing game with us scoring the winning touchdown with 2 seconds left on the clock!!! We got to Michigan around 4 and stopped at our hotel first to take our bags there and to kinda see the area so we would know where we were going once the game was over then we headed strait to the stadium, we didn't find tickets ahead of time so wanted to see if we could find someone selling them there, which people do all the time. We found a guy selling them right away and bought them, we were so excited to have the tickets and to be for sure getting into the game. We stopped and tailgated for awhile with a family from here in Bellevue and then headed into the game...that is until we get to the entrance and find out that our tickets that we just paid ALOT of money for were counterfeit!!! Ive never felt so sick to my stomach, this guy basically just stole from us, we were so ready and excited to walk in and it was smashed in an instant. Thankfully we handled the situation very well and the lady at the front allowed us to purchase tickets from behind the counter that they had set aside for situation like this (the game was sold out). So after paying MORE money we finally got in and watched a game that went down in college football history!! We defiantly learned our lesson though from buying from just anyone. After the game the stadium and fans were going crazy, no one left for hours, even though we paid much more than expected we were soo happy to be a part of Michigan stadium history!!! Cant wait for the next game we go to together, not only do we both love going to the games but its also time for me and brad to get away together and enjoy each other♥

Tailgating before the game

The view from our seats

We go to about 3 games a year, usually its just me and brad with no kids, once they get alittle older we might take them once in awhile. Caiden went to his first game 2 years ago and had a hard time sitting through it, which means Hailey would have an even harder time lol, shes so hyper and never wants to sit still. We do take the kids every year to fan day, where they get to play out on the field and get all the players autographs, here some pics from this years fan day

Brad and the kids on the M in the middle of the field

Hailey with the Michigan cheerleaders:)

Me and my babies getting ready to high five the players as they walk by

Caiden catching a pass in the end zone...oh how we would love for this to be true about 10 years from now, we would be his biggest fans:)

Me and brad in front of the new scoreboards, they are almost finished!

First Day Of Pre-K

My little girl is not so little anymore, this week was her first day of school, its very bittersweet for me...she is the youngest and I have not worked much so i could be home with my kids, for the last four years caiden has went to school and it's always just been me and hay together all day...until now, so it is hard to watch her go.

I know most parents cant wait for the school year to start and for there children to go to school all day but i really do dread our summers coming to an end. I love both of my children being home with me and spending as much time with them as i can. I have even considered homeschooling just because i think school days are too long and too much time away from me but I think that also takes away from the friendships and social skills that come with going to school.

Caiden goes a full 7 hr school day 5 days a week and Hailey goes 2 1/2 hours 5 days a week. I know its short days but it was still very hard leaving her.

Hailey on the other hand was very excited for school to start and loved it, she couldnt wait to go back the next day. We spent 2 hrs getting ready on her first day, had to wash dry and curl hair, re-paint nails find the perfect shoes for her new dress and make sure all 3 of her stuffed animals fit in her bookbag (i did mention that shes alittle diva right? :)

Brad left work for alittle bit to surprise her in the classroom with a goodluck first day hug and kiss, Hailey loves her daddy so she was soo happy to see him and to show him how beautiful she looked.

I dropped her off and she ran right in, nothing at all like last year where she was afraid for me to leave and cried almost everyday, so it was much nicer knowing she was okay going but I wouldn't have minded just a few extra hugs or goodbyes wave:*( I think that part of me was just expecting her to hold on till the minute that i left that i almost didnt know what to do when she ran right in. Of course i did have to go in after her for one last kiss and to let her know i was leaving and would be back soon to pick her up but i think that was more for my reassurance then for her. At the end of the school day i got there early and stood by the door, the blinds were open alittle so of course i had to peek in...lol, she was having a blast playing. For some reason though the blinds were closed the following day, guess they dont want crazy moms like me peeking in there classrooms.

Shes still my baby no matter how old she is!