{A Recap of Our August and September}

Whew! September was so busy that I didn’t have a chance to recap August! So this post will be a double dose of our family adventures! August was full to the brim with last minute summer fun before school started in full swing. We kicked off the month with a small family picnic where I got visit with one of my cousins from the east coast. I haven’t seen him since I was in high school but I finally got to meet his wife and 3 beautiful children. It was so great to catch up and learn more about their amazing story with 3 kiddos, one with special needs. We tried to get a picture of grandpa with his great grands at the picnic and the image below was the best we could come up with!

In the middle of the month, not pictured, was a much needed parent’s weekend away with friends/family who share the same experience as us, bringing more than one child into the world at the same time. Shortly after that, school started and I can’t tell if our days are busier than summertime or just a different kind of busy. Liella is currently dominating 3rd grade where she has already received the Bulldog Hero award. It’s been so fun to see her receive this award year after year. Eden and Oren are officially in KINDERGARTEN! Such a crazy mixed bag of emotions for this mama to see her babies go off to kindergarten. It’s bittersweet watching them grow, I am so proud of their progress and learning but, at the same time mourning the loss of their toddler/preschool stages. They are officially Big Kids! Watching your children grow is the craziest ride. One minute you are jumping for joy that your kids can finally potty on their own and get dressed by themselves, but the next minute you’re crying because, in some weird universe, you actually miss helping them do these things. It’s wild!

We finished out the month with a trip to the Omaha Zoo! It was everyone’s first time and we had a blast! We toured the Dessert Dome and Scott Aquarium. Then rode the tram halfway through the park and walked back to ride the Skyfari. Afterwards we stopped to see the giraffes, the butterfly pavilion and ended at the Lied Jungle. We did as much as we could with 3 little kiddos in one day and still didn’t even see half of the zoo. I’m sure we will be back again to see the rest!

September started out with a mini pool party on Labor Day weekend with cousins! Sadly, it was the last time we used the pool for the season because it was followed by 3 weekends in a row of photographing weddings and Joe baling tons of CRP since it opened up for hay cuttings in August. *Queue Busy Mommy/Daddy Work Mode* We ended the month with cousin time at the apple orchard. It never gets old going to the apple orchard every fall and it’s even better with cousins!

All these core memories being made and honestly, it’s just as much fun for Joe and I as it is for our kids. We know this “big kid” timeframe is short and precious and soon they will be “too cool” to hang out with us, so we are making the most of it as we can! Until next month…

Watch out Hayes! These girls are ruthless!