Insta-Friday Catch Up...Longest Post Ever

Howdy strangers.

I've been blog slacking. Blah.

Life has been crazy busy.

That's an excuse.

Life is always crazy busy.

Sometimes I'm just not feelin' the whole blog thing.

It's like Pinterest and Instagram killed the blog star. Truly.

And blogging is just one more thang on the to-do list.

It's like anything else. It ebbs and flows.

Sometimes the ebb annoys me when I'm trying to get back in the flow.

But here we are.

Brody had an appointment downtown with a specialist for the cyst he was born with on his forehead...

Or so we thought. Apparently they didn't hit enter on their end so the appointment didn't exist in their system.

Even though I figured out child care for our other two kids...Andy took time off work...and we drove 45 minutes downtown and waited in a waiting room with a restless 2 year old...

They couldn't squeeze us in. They rescheduled us...in a month...and said refunding our co-pay would be really complicated for them.

Not cool Kaiser. Not cool.

Mama Bear had a really hard time maintaining my composure in this situation.

I had to hold my breath, tell myself everyone makes mistakes, and pray for self-control...when I wanted to punch the lady in the face.

Brody remained super cute throughout all of it...I didn't punch the lady...I got Sonic for lunch and a couple cute pics out of it...

And Brody got to see lots of cool construction.

I decorated for Halloween.

So festive and fun!

Breaking Bad ended.

So good, but sad.

At least they gave us closure...unlike Dexter with its stupid fake ending that wasn't really an ending.

Dear Dexter season finale writers,

You suck.

The fire department visited Ab's school for their community helpers unit.

Brody freaked out and wouldn't go inside the truck.

Abby's in love with all fire fighters now.

I couldn't resist and took a garland out of the shop for myself. Ha!

Love how warm and cozy the house feels with fall decor.

I made pumpkin spice scones with maple glaze one afternoon...from a box mix...nothing wrong with that.

They did not disappoint.

Watching a child learn to read absolutely fascinates me.

It's a complex process and so magical to watch unfold.

I'm waiting for the part where it all clicks and he can't get enough of it.

I want that for him.

I love soccer practice in the fall when it actually feels like fall.

When the leaves are changing and falling and there's a crisp coolness in the air.

Brody scares the crap out of me.

Everyday.

He's determined and fearless.

It's terrifying.

It snowed here on Oct. 4th.

I hate snow.

Unless I can stay in pj's all day, read a book or watch movies , and drink a hot Starbucks...then snow pretty much ruins my day.

Snow gear for 3 kids is my hell.

Homegirl had a play date at Chick-Fil-A on the day it snowed.

She passed out in the 3 minutes it takes to get from our house to school. I totally get that exhaustion. Where it just overwhelmes you and if you sit down you're a goner.

AJ's class gets treasure box on Fridays for staying on green for good behavior. I love that he looks forward to this every week. I love that being a good boy is important to him.

AJ was goalie the first half of his soccer game last Saturday. I held my breath and prayed somethimg fierce the whole 20 minute half. He is not an assertive player, so we weren't sure how being goalie was going to go.

There is nothing like the intensity of wanting your child to succeed...or not feel the harshness of failing. It's a new level of anxiety. His team won 4-0. It was a true team effort.

As torn as I am with whether soccer is AJ's passion or not, I have seen him grow this season. Grow in his commitment to others...grow in going out of his comfort zone...grow in understanding the importance of teamwork...and grow in pushing himself to rise to the occasion.

Brody loves to watch his big brother. They are buds.

There is something so incredible about watching the bonds of siblings.

Every year we venture to Cider Days with Nana and Papa.

The tractor pull is always a big hit.

And of course making our own cider!

A complete stranger bought me a Starbucks after visiting with Andy in line at Starbucks and finding out I was in the van with 3 kids. Now that's a good person right there. Someone that understands how agonizing 10 minutes in a car with 3 fighting children can be. There are good people in the world. I love that woman. Love her.

We had a friend over for dinner the other night and introduced him to Settlers of Catan. Love that game. But don't let Andy get the longest road. That's how he wins every time. Shut him down people. It's time he eat some Settlers humble pie.

We went up to the mountains to celebrate Grandma Jody's bday. The kids all wore their Bronco gear for her. It was a fun day.

Girlfriend loves her papa. They are buddies.

It was gorgeous up in the mountains. I love all the leaves changing.

I love bread. Love love love bread.

If I had to choose only one thing to survive on, it would be bread.

That caramel bread toasted with melted butter is my heaven.

I pretty much ate toast for lunch all week.

It was pretty much the best week ever because of that bread right there.

We went to a Capernaum fundraising banquet this week.

Dressed up...chatted it up with good people. It was fun.

Abby plays in a magical land of pixies and princesses all day long.

Makes my heart happy to see how carefree she is.

Love me some chai from home.

A friend and neighbor surprised me with this bag of deliciousness this week! It seriously made my Week! Like over the moon. Best thing you could do for this girl.

Junk food is my love language.

True story.

The Disney Store had their classic dolls and princess dresses and accessories on sale this week...so this chick got some Christmas shopping done!

I was thinking a Snow White or Merida dress, but Pocahontas has a special place in Ab's heart...so Pocahontas it is!

I could work at The Disney Store just to buy Ab princess stuff. Not kidding. I love it.

Starbucks, junk food, and princess stuff make me giddy.

We are road tripping' it to Kansas and Missouri to see my fam over fall break. Packing for a family of 5 for 7 days is an overwhelming task. I'm compulsive and always overpack. I like planning and being prepared...so I always make it harder than it has to be. Whatevs.

EEEEE!!!

Hayrides and siblings and cousins and late nights at the lake house and Cornerstone HERE WE COME!!! Brace yourselves.

AJ had his Fall Fun Run at school yesterday. We froze our booties off. Hot chocolate was in order pronto when we got home.

They were totally busted. Not sure how much fake bacon Latte consumed before the bust though...or Brody for that matter.

Ab with her tray of take along toys in the van for the 13 hour drive.

I'll keep you posted on all our fall break adventures!

It's gonna be real!

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