Monday, January 5, 2015

The stuff childhood is made of...

One of my fondest memories as a child were my annual fall class field trips to the Venetucci Pumpkin Farm. I remember feeling so excited to pick out my very own plump, orange pumpkin. I would bring it home to my mom eager to clean and carve it. 

Now I get to see my boys as they make those same trips to the pumpkin patch with their classes. Last year Kaleb got to go with his kindergarten class and now this year it was Kaden's turn with his kindergarten class. Kyle and I tagged along on Kaden's trip to enjoy the experience with him. 


I love the innocence of children and how they can all be friends. 





Inspection time. He had to pick out the perfect one!



Such a cutie:)


The farm's tradition is that after the kiddos pick out their pumpkin, they have to 
carry it out. Kaden was struggling to carry his with his tiny 40 pound frame.


Kaden's class also got to visit with the farm animals. 







The field trip isn't just a outing to pick out a pumpkin, but also a learning experience as well.
The kids got to learn about composting and about different varieties of pumpkins among other things. 


They also got to dig for worms!



I know Kaden and his classmates had a great day at the pumpkin farm and I know, like me, 
Kaden will remember these moments when he is my age telling his children about his childhood 
memories. Pumpkin patch visits are just one of many things that a great childhood is made of.  



Falling in love all over again...

Fall time is hands down my most favorite time of the year. I love everything about it...the sights, sounds & smells of Autumn...simply wonderful! The colors are vibrant and delightful. There is a crispness in the cool air during fall that doesn't exist the other 3 seasons of the year. The only bad thing about fall is that it goes by all together way too fast. How come the most loveliest of seasons is the shortest? 

Each year as I see the leaves outside my window start to make their annual change, I also am reminded of memories of past autumns and I fall in love all over again. My falls are full of family traditions...playing in the leaves, going to the pumpkin patch, carving pumpkins, and venturing into our magnificent mountains to embark on a drive to view the work of God painting his creations in bright, beautiful colors signaling that winter will soon make it's appearance. Seeing the changing of the leaves each never gets old to me...what an amazing gift we get to experience each year!















Saturday, January 3, 2015

{Are you ready for some FOOOOTBAAAALLL...& Soccer!}

This past fall I asked the boys which sports they wanted to play. Kaleb said flag football and Kaden said soccer. After I signed the boys up I got a call asking about volunteering to coach for Kaden's team because they were still looking for a coach. When it comes to cute 4 & 5 year olds kicking a ball around a huge field my heart is mush and I had to help. 
The season turned out to be a ball! Kaleb had a wonderful first experience playing flag football. He got to run the ball a few times and even got his first touchdown. It was so exciting to watch. Kaleb is really fast and I loved watching all of his various expressions  & faces as he played. So full of emotion!
I really enjoyed coaching Kaden and all the other tiny players on our team. Watching them improve over the season was so rewarding. Kaden loves playing soccer and is already talking about playing it again in the spring. He can really handle the ball well and is an awesome team player.

I look forward to future sports seasons watching the boys grow in confidence and build friendships at the same time. It will be extra fun next fall when the boys can play on the same team again...if they want to of course!

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

{We Are Team Heisenberg!}

Back in September, along with my team, I embarked on a grueling & muddy journey to test my limits and strength. The course took us through freezing cold water, extreme elevation changes, shocking {literally} obstacles, & rocky trenches. Our endurance, mental strength, and team work were all tested. I knew I could complete the course but that wasn't without reservation. I went into the day hoping for the best, but I am not going to lie, I was soooooo nervous. I owe a lot to my team that day. I couldn't have gotten through this course without them...the team in green...Team Heisenberg! 


We started the day fresh, clean, and pumped!






Our complete team...all together!




I think we were all very excited, and some of us were a little bit nervous...including me!


We said a prayer as a team before we started.





While the team was on the course our littlest fans, my nephews Grayson & Jackson, were competing in their own Tough Mudder course. The Mini Mudder! From the looks of the pictures I think they were having some fun on the course too. If my boys were there I know they would have gotten such a kick out of doing this!



  

After some challenging obstacles it was time to get muddy!

 

He is even cute with mud on his teeth.


At this point we were very muddy but still very much up to the challenge.



I couldn't have done any of this without this guy. He pushed me and encouraged me. I think he was even a little impressed that I did it all. 

 

On this day I found out one of my biggest fears...freezing, ice-cold, frigid water! Kyle had to talk me into going under and it took a few minutes. Being submerged under icy cold water isn't the best feeling in the world. It feels like your breath is being stolen out of your chest...not fun.



I finally ended up doing it with a little poking & prodding.


Making our way through the trenches.


One thing is for sure...we worked very well together as a team!


Since Kyle competed last year he got to do an additional course and of course he nailed it when so many others couldn't. Proud of my hubby.



This was the last obstacle and at this point I was ready to be finished and I was nervous about getting shocked. The plan was to all go through together...I had other plans. I pumped myself up so much that I just had to do it and I just started to go on my own. Getting shocked was definitely one of my least favorite parts of this experience.


It was a long, dirty, and hard day but it was completely worth it because I pushed myself and in the process got closer to my teammates. I was so proud of my team!


At the end we celebrated with a beer...a well deserved beer. Cheers to us!

I can't wait to do another mudder event in 2015. Thank you to all of our fans who waited out the day cheering us on and supporting us from the sidelines {Linda, Craig, Grayson, Jackson, Laura & Lisa}. Special thanks to my sister for taking all these pictures.