Fall Shenanigans

Fall in Texas is a relative term. It doesn't mean sweaters and apple cider, like it does in some parts of the country. 

But it does mean generally cooler temperatures, and a lot more hours spent outdoors. I, for one, am a huge fan of Texas Fall.

 I got to go on a field trip with Drew to an apple orchard/ pumpkin patch.

Greg and I FINALLY got bikes. We haven't been able to try them out on a real life bike ride, but we have taken them out for rides in the neighborhood a few times.

 I took the kids to a pumpkin patch on Columbus Day. It was fairly uneventful. But the giant slide and apple shooting were highlights of the day.

 E and K have caught the Harry Potter bug and are all in. I'm getting over the annoyance that I have to buy two sets since they refuse to stagger their reading and want to read them TOGETHER, because cuteness and twinning and all that. 

Kate and I went on a mother daughter camping trip.

We went for a hike.

Drew is nailing kindergarten.

The little lad turned one and in true fourth-child fashion, this was all he got. Not presents, no party,  no cake. Cause we're great parents like that.

Golf is still strong with this one. 

The end.

Fall Ball

The 3 bigs all chose to play base/soft/T-ball this fall. That meant every single night from Monday-Thursday and Saturday mornings were spent at the fields. 

I would not have guessed just how much fun we would have.

This little man surprised us all with his powerhouse hits. It was so fun to watch him learn about the game in his first season on the diamond. Sadly, this is the only pic I have of the whole season.

Kate played another season of coach-pitch. She certainly had her ups and downs this season. But one up was trying out catcher. She was so nervous the first game she put on the gear, but after that she was all in and asked to play it every game.

This pic isn't from the fields, but some representation of how Ben spent September and October is necessary here. He would push this stroller for 3 hours straight, every night. Forward, backward, but mostly just around in circles. He'd come in for a snack, and then get right back to work. He's a trooper, this boy.

 And, finally, Ethan...

Sweet boy had a great season, with a really good team, and an outstanding team of coaches.  He learned so much, got a lot of hits, two home runs, even, and they even made it to the championship. 

We got to know a few families REALLY well this fall, and the siblings especially formed a special bond. The night the Angels won the game that sent them to the championship, the coach let all the kids on the "baseball Zamboni". It's the only one I have of them, and half of them aren't even there, but I just want to remember these sweet kids that stuck together (and quite honestly kept Ben alive) this season.

Halloween