Earth Stars...

We had beautiful weather last week and no school for three days so we did some exploring.  We found these amazing mushrooms at our favorite magical place.  I tried to find the real name for these mushrooms but there are a million types of mushrooms and names.  One of my favorite names, Earth Star.

Serious...

I paid the kids to be my models for some photo practice. Mase took the job very seriously. 

24-70mm f/2.8...

I rented this lens to see what it can do. It can do a lot more than my kit lens that's for certain.

The Andersens...

Some cute friends let me get in some photo practice.  These are some of my favorite shots.  I miss having a baby girl I can dress, my kids want to do it all on their own now which is good, I just miss the pink and flower headbands.  Thanks guys, let's do it again.

The patch...

I must admit I do not enjoy a certain Fall holiday that starts with the letter H.  Call me crazy but I don't get excited about dressing up, eating large amounts of junk and having kids stay up late just to be grouchy the next day.  But don't worry, I do it for the kids.  They can dress up, eat all the candy they desire and participate in the H word. 

What I do love is Thanksgiving, Christmas and a good old fashioned hay ride into the pumpkin patch.  I took the three older kids  (Garrett was still recovering) to a local pumpkin patch.  It was a beautiful Saturday, hay mazes, pumpkins, hay slides, hot chocolate, the feeling of Fall.  We had a good time together picking out pumpkins and playing.  It never gets old to me, it's part of the season, a part that I love.  

Running...

Another way to breathe.

Farmer's Market Flowers...

Thank you to my one and only, I love flowers and I love you.

Thanks...

I am thankful Garrett has stopped throwing up, 11 days was too long.

I am thankful Mase didn't get sick at all, everyone else did.

I am thankful for a washer and dryer, warm house, hot water for baths, towels, blankets, Lysol, a husband who can clean up puke, diapers to catch diarrhea, Netflix and Thomas the Train.

I am thankful for friends who bring Jamba Juice, popsicles, chocolate, stool sample kits, dinners and prayers.

I am thankful for a mother-in- law who cleans my kitchen, buys groceries, comes to sit with sick kids so I can breath some fresh air and run, drives Mase to soccer practice and doesn't care if my house is a mess. 

I am thankful for the huge flower bouquet Eric brought me from the Farmer's Market, it celebrates a new week, a week of health. 

I am thankful for online shopping and vintage inspired shoes that make me forget about how many times Eric and I cleaned up puke at 2am, 5am, 11am, 9pm for days and days and days.

I am thankful for the beautiful place I live and the people I get to live with. 

I am thankful for Trader Joe's Pumpkin pancake mix.

I am thankful for Fall, pumpkins and the coming holidays. 

Things are looking up today and I am blessed, really blessed.