Project 365

Catch the Moment: Wk 43

Posted on by mommyinthemidwest

This week’s photos are ALL FALL. I realized what was happening about 2 days in and just kept going with it. As much as I loved being in Oregon and Tennessee this month, we missed their peak times for changing leaves. We didn’t miss it in Indiana though; the trees are ablaze with beautiful shades of red, gold, pink, and orange. There’s still quite a bit of green as well. We’ve had gorgeous fall weather so far up until this week, when Hurricane Patricia’s remnants apparently came to stay for awhile.

295/365: Thursday, October 22nd. I was home with the boys for the remainder of their fall break and we made the most of it with lots of fun activities. Thursday we bought Halloween costumes and picked our pumpkins to carve. 10-22-2015

296/365: Friday, October 23rd. On Friday we went to a bounce house and lunch with friends then later got haircuts and went out for dinner. While we’re driving around, I always point out the prettiest trees. The boys always point out that I won’t stop talking about how pretty the prettiest trees are…haha. That’s got to be better than complaining about how ugly and dead everything looks…coming up right after Christmas. Boo.IMG_7747

297/365: Saturday, October 24th. We did some not-so-fun activities like tile shopping and worked around the house. Dexter requested the Star Wars pumpkin (Ryan carved most of it for him), mine is the bat, and Theo designed the jack-o-lantern with a silly smile. 10-24-2015

298/365: Sunday, October 25th. For this week’s instagram fun #souperbowlsundays, I made THIS Chicken Cordon Bleu soup. It was very good but very heavy. 10-25-2015

299/365: Monday, October 26th. Before the rain started, Ryan carved a final jack-o-lantern on the back porch while the boys played outside. I walked around admiring the bright colors and watched leaves falling steadily in the increasing wind.10-26-2015

300/365: Tuesday, October 27th. Yep, I stood in the falling rain to take this – I needed a pic and I never get tired of this view as we are leaving home and driving down our street.10-27-2015

301/365: Wednesday, October 28th. At one point today, I thought the rain had stopped. The sun was actually peeking through the clouds and I even saw a couple of blue patches in the sky. But as soon as I stepped out of my office to take a quick walk, it started sprinkling again. This morning on the way to school, Dexter asked what happened to our blue sky and why the clouds were covering up the sunshine. It has only been dark and cloudy for 2 days – it’s going to be a long winter!10-28-2015

It’s been a very fall-filled week! Looking forward to Trick or Treating this Saturday (hoping the weather cooperates) and then moving on towards Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yikes! I can’t believe the year is almost over.

xo,

~C~

catch the moment: wk 42

Posted on by mommyinthemidwest

Less than three days after we returned from our 4 night trip to Portland, we left for a 5 night trip to Tennessee. I really thought I’d have time to blog about the trip to Portland during our trip to the Smoky Mountains but I was wrong. It’s really important to me to document the memories we’ve made while it’s all still fresh in my mind. Can’t believe how fast this month is flying by. As wonderful as both trips have been, I’m glad to be home with no big plans on the weekend for a while.

288/365: Thursday, October 15th. After fall break camp, before dinner…just one of those things that we do every day when we get home. Regardless of the weather or how bad anyone needs to use the bathroom, I always have 1 or 2 little guys help me check the mail.10-15-2015

289/365: Friday, October 16th. My little troopers. They color, watch a couple movies, nap, and then we’re there. All in all, I couldn’t ask for better traveling companions. We stayed at my mom’s Friday night. 10-16-2015

290/365: Saturday, October 17th. Once we got into Pigeon Forge, we had some time to waste before checking into our cabin. We ate a wonderful lunch at Harpoon Harry’s and then looked around for a little bit at the Christmas Place shops. Even knocked out getting the boys’ personalized Christmas ornaments for this year while we were there. Also-ring pops from the candy shop!10-17-2015

291/365: Sunday, October 18th. We had a big day Sunday! I will write more about it in a separate post but I took this picture of my mom and all 5 of her beautiful grandchildren at The Island in Pigeon Forge. 10-18-2015

292/365: Monday, October 19th. The fun didn’t slow down on Monday – we spent the day at my favorite place in Pigeon Forge…Dollywood! We enjoyed mild weather, no crowds, and fun family time with my mom and Ryan’s parents. I was explaining to Theo why Dolly is so famous and why so many people love her (myself included). I showed him her picture and he said “oh, okay…sooooo? She’s a circus performer?” Ha. 10-19-2015

293/365: Tuesday, October 20th. I searched for a relatively easy hike that my kids could handle and all websites pointed me to Laurel Falls. It was paved but 1.3 miles uphill to the beautiful cascades. The boys did their fair share of complaining but appreciated the reward of the waterfall at the top of the mountain. I was really proud of them! No complaints on the way back as it was all downhill. Afterwards they both said they enjoyed it and would do it again. I get it – I feel that way sometimes too when hiking. 10-20-2015

294/365: Wednesday, October 21st. I took this photo from the loft while I was packing and cleaning up when I heard Dexter’s giggles from below. I keep thinking about how lucky I am that my family and my husband’s family all like each other, get along, and enjoy each other’s company even for the duration of a mini-vacation. Something tells me that’s not super common but I love it. We got home around 615pm Wednesday evening. Normally the blues would set in around this time but I am off the rest of the week and the weather and leaves are phenomenal. I’m going to enjoy every last drop of this fall break vacation!10-21-2015

That’s the end of our exciting plans for a while. I don’t have a favorite picture because I love them all-they all represent so much that I love about my family (of origin and the one I married into) and my life.

xo,

~C~

catch the moment: wk 41

Gallery posted on by mommyinthemidwest

Another post will come soon with LOTS more photos of our fantastic weekend getaway to Portland, Oregon. Having just been home for 24 hours, I’m still basking in the afterglow of the amazing time we had and all the sights our eyes took in. The mountain and ocean air we breathed. Oregon has always been a place I’d like to visit but it was never on the radar for a family vacation. When my best friend called a couple months ago and told me she and her girlfriend had decided to get married on the Pacific Northwestern coast, the wheels in my mind started spinning. Could I make it work? How could I not? My best friend was getting married and was telling me that she wanted me to be there if I could work it out. Whether it made any logistical sense or not, I knew I had to go. So, it wasn’t easy but we did what we had to do to MAKE it work and guys… I couldn’t imagine not standing there on my friend’s wedding day. The ceremony was short and purely magical. I cried through their vows and felt jitters like it was my own wedding day. The entire weekend was just breathtaking. Can I go back now?

281/365: Thursday, October 8th. Coloring after school…like always. I was running around getting packed and trying to figure out all the last minute stuff for our village of people who agreed and volunteered to help out to make this trip a reality for Ryan and I. 10-08-2015

282/365: Friday, October 9th. A very hectic and stressful week was winding down at work and a getaway couldn’t have come at a better time! My mom got to my house around the time I got home from work. Ryan and I caught a 745pm flight and sitting in the airport was the most relaxed I had felt all week. 10-09-2015

283/365: Saturday, October 10th. After touching down in Portland at 2am Eastern time, we went to bed shortly after arriving at the airbnb that Emily and Lauren had reserved. By shortly, I mean 430am Eastern time. I was TIIIRED. But I woke up with new energy on Saturday. Really early. Pacific time is a rough change. Ryan and I were up early and getting ready to go grab some breakfast when I got a text from Emily asking if I wanted to go for a walk and grab some coffee…talk and catch up before everyone else woke up. How could I turn down an offer like that? It was great to steal the bride-to-be away for a little bit before grabbing brunch with the whole crew of 14 who made the trip out west for the big day. The rest of the day consisted of standing around talking about what we were going to do, walking and using public transport to get around and see downtown, and enjoying a few drinks and yummy local food. 10-10-2015

284/365: Sunday, October 11th. As much fun as we had on Saturday, I was really looking forward to Sunday – hiking day! This is what I had in mind for REALLY seeing Oregon. I only saw a tiny piece of Oregon and it’s gorgeous.

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285/365: Monday, October 12th. WEDDING DAY! I let the pros do their job and just tried to enjoy the ceremony for the most part instead of obsessively snapping photos. I have lots more pictures of the coast to share in a separate post. Everything about the day was perfect.10-12-2015

286/365: Tuesday, October 13th. Time to go home. The end of a wonderful {mini} vacation always feels bittersweet. That process of replaying all the cherished moments over and over in my mind so they don’t slip away. Filing them under the “cherished memories” tab in my brain. All of the sweet sadness mixed with the anticipation of getting home to see my boys. The feeling of relief when the plane touches down at “home” and that comforting calm that washes over when I walk through our door. Kissing my boys over and over even though they’re fast asleep. Going to bed 2300 miles away from where I woke up. I love all of it and I’m so thankful for the chance to have been able to make it happen. 10-13-2015

287/365: Wednesday, October 14th. Back to normal life – sort of. Dexter is on fall break this week so he went back to where him and Theo had summer camp. He looked like he was having fun when I picked him up, which was a relief since Theo isn’t on fall break just yet. It was great to just be home and give them baths and cook their dinner, read their bedtime stories and tuck them in. It feels right. 10-14-2015

Okay, hopefully I haven’t blabbed too much about our trip because I still have a lot more to share – a lot more that I want to publish here so I can remember it forever. More photos of one of the prettiest places I’ve seen. Hope you had a beautiful week.

xo,

~C~