Seeing All Sides: Hawkeyes

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Five on Friday: Family Photos, Royals, Hawkeyes, and Fall Things

I always find it hard to work on Fridays...so how about a Friday blog post instead?

We had family photos taken last Saturday. They were with a new photographer, our kids had been sick all week, and it was cold the morning of. The ground was wet, my white shirt got muddy, and Brantley cooperated for a whole 4 minutes. Needless to say, I didn't have high hopes for the results...until our photographer posted our sneak peak. Oh. my. goodness. I'm not sure I've loved our family photos anymore. I can not wait for the rest of them!! (Photos by Whitney Revelle Photography)

The Royals!!!!! For the second year in a row, the Royals are headed to the ALCS...and then hopefully the World Series! The were down two games to one in the ALDS...and down 2-6 in the eighth inning. Nearly every Kansas Citian assumed their season was over. And then...by some miracle, they found a way to score five runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth to win 9-6. Which brought them back to KC for a game five...in which they won 7-2. I mean, this team is some kind of magic. Blue Octobers are so much and I hope they can keep the magic going!

Vanessa sent me a link to these awesome wallpapers and printables. I can't even pick a favorite. I mean, they're all so stinkin' adorable! And they're free! Thanks, Vanessa, for sharing and thanks, Audrey at Oh So Lovely Blog, for creating!

Speaking of sports, my Hawkeyes are still undefeated. 6-0 going into week seven of college football! I still can't figure out if they're that good, if they've played easy teams, or they've just gotten lucky?! Either way, I'll take it! Go Hawks!

This weekend is my all-time favorite weekend of fall! Why, you ask? The Lenexa Chili Challenge!! We go. We eat. We enjoy the gorgeous fall weather. My parents are coming to visit this weekend, too. Mainly because they were here for the Chili Challenge two years ago and loved it! Aparently, I've only blogged about the Chili Challenge once before (in 2013). Sounds about right for my blogging habits this time of the year!

And finally, we fall-ified our front porch last weekend. Pumpkins, mums, the works. Fall porches are so ugly, said no one ever. :)

And with that, my plan period is about over, which means it's time to go teach! Happy Friday and have a great weekend, friends!

Linking Up With:

Momfessionals and A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites
September F A R M for Oh, Hey Friday

A.Liz Adventures for Five on Friday

Five on Friday

I'm jumping on board this Five on Friday thing - only about two years late. Because sometimes a random blog post is where it's at. Am I right?

This weekend, we're headed to Iowa for our first Iowa football game in a few years! Craig and I used to go to each home opener, but honestly, I can't even remember the last time we set foot in Kinnick Stadium! Three years ago, perhaps? I wish we could take Brantley...he thinks it's hilarious that the stadium has our dog's name...and I know he would love it. But considering each body that enters requires a ticket, and the cheapest ticket is $60, I think we'll pass this year. Besides, it's a 7pm kickoff (a rarity for Iowa football), so needless to say, we have a good excuse to leave the kiddos with Gramma and Papa. I am so excited to see Kinnick Stadium striped in black and gold...something I've seen on t.v. a number of times, but never in real life! Go Hawks!

Speaking of football...remember when all I ever wanted was a little girl to dress in frills and bows? Yeah, well, I have completely changed my mind on that and realized I was *made* to be a boy mom!! Dressing these boys in their jerseys and sports apparel on game days = heart melted. I've also taught Brantley both the Iowa and Mill Valley fight songs and it's the cutest thing ever listening to him sing both!

Halloween is, oh, only about six weeks away and I've been trying to come up with some costume ideas for the boys. Brantley has made it very obvious that he wants to be a snowman (Olaf, specifically) and of course, I wanted something similarly themed for Holden. As of yesterday, I got it. I have always loved penguins and how adorable is this one??

This week is Homecoming at my school. You better believe that teachers enjoy dressing up as much as the kids! Wednesday was Decade Day, so myself a few other A-hallway teachers donned our best 80s gear! I even crimped my hair......with the crimper I had as a child.

This morning, I walked into school expecting a normal Homecoming Friday, but found myself a dance party instead. The seniors arrived super early and decorated every square inch of the foyer in our school colors: midnight blue and silver. Students from all classes were dancing, laughing, and have an all-out grand time....at 7am. It's crazy how much this school climate has changed in my nine years. The school spirit has increased exponentially, and I finally feel like students know what Homecoming is all about. Go Jags!

And because I'm too lazy to write anything else, I'll leave you with a photo of my handsome Holden.

Happy Friday, friends!

Linking Up With:

Momfessionals and A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites
September F A R M for Oh, Hey Friday

A.Liz Adventures for Five on Friday

I'm Baaaaack!!!!

Confession: I haven't logged on to Blogger for a good four weeks! What a shame! I've been loyally following other blogs (well....when time allows) via Bloglovin, but between teaching a new class and having two little ones at home, my "me" time is pretty limited. There are never enough hours in the day as is, and when I do have an hour with "nothing" to do, the last thing I want to do is stare at a computer screen...let alone attempt to put sentences and/or pictures together! But that doesn't mean I haven't been composing posts in my head. So, don't you worry--there are a few coming your way soon(ish): Holden's 5-month update (what?!?!?!), our mini vacay to Austin (which seems like FOREVER ago), a bit about my school year (and new class) thus far, a tour of my classroom (maybe...if I can force myself to take pictures)...and more!

For now, I'll leave you with a very random list of a few things that life has revolved around for the last four weeks!

{ONE}

Another trip to Urgent Care and another round of stitches for Brantley.

{TWO}

Craig's birthday. Yesterday. His 36th!! He's old, right?! We celebrated with dinner at Cheesecake Factory. Random weeknights out to eat are the best!

{THREE}

Which leads me to my next point. I gifted him, get this, a voucher for a Kansas City segway tour! (I'm going with, of course!) It's totally his thing, random facts and history about this great city in which we live. He's excited! I'm excited! Stay tuned...I'm sure it'll make for a great future blog post! (And there's a Living Social deal right now--two for the price of one--in case you're interested, KC peeps!)

{FOUR}

Kinnick's birthday. He turned six a month ago yesterday.

{FIVE}

I hosted a Dr. Seuss themed baby shower. Oh my goodness, possibly the cutest and most fun themed baby shower I've hosted to date!

{SIX}

The hubs painted our master bath vanity white. Bye bye ugly 90s orange! Next up, our kitchen cabinets!!!!!! Hopefully. *fingers crossed*

{SEVEN}

Summer seems to be a distant memory. And the weather is totally encouraging that. We've already reached an overnight low of 40 degrees! Brrr!!!

{EIGHT}

My grandpa was rushed to Mercy Hospital in Iowa City (via helicopter) over the weekend after passing out. Turns out, his heart had dropped to a dangerously low rate. He had surgery yesterday to install a pacemaker. Hoping that he's a new man now! Some pretty scary moments though, that's for sure, and thanking God for the positive outcome!

{NINE}

I started attending a Tuesday night MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) group. It's a Christian-based group for moms of children ages newborn through school-aged. The focus is on being a better mom, but mostly it's just an opportunity to meet with other moms in my same position. I'm really looking forward to it...I mean, crafts and/or snacks every other Tuesday? That's totally up my alley!

{TEN}

The Hawkeyes are sucking. And so are the Jayhawks. And the Chiefs. But, the Royals? Still going strong(ish) and hoping to make the playoffs! Let's go Royals *clap clap clap-clap-clap*

{ELEVEN}

We were nominated for the Ice Bucket Challenge. And accepted. And donated.

{TWELVE}

And in case you were wondering, my kids are still adorable. Cuter and more fun than ever!

Mama's Little Hawkeye

I may not get to stock a closet full of bows and frills, but one of my favorite things about having a boy is getting to dress him in sports apparel. Here are some photos of my favorite little Hawkeye fan!

Weekend in Iowa

This past weekend was Brantley's first trip to Iowa! Can you believe he's been all the way to South Carolina before making his way to Iowa?

Our plans were to go after work (Craig's obviously, not mine) on Friday, but we decided to surprise my parents and pop in on Thursday night instead! What a fun surprise it was to show up on my parents' porch and spend an extra day with them! Gramma sure loved seeing Brantley 24 hours early!

On Friday, we headed to Iowa City to do a little shopping while my parents worked. On Friday night, Brantley finally got to meet his cousin Kellen! We went to dinner with my parents and sister and then attended a Simon & Garfunkel cover band concert at the Fairfield Civic Center - the boys' first concert! I'm sure everyone was thinking "Seriously??" when we walked in with two babies under the age of four months, but they both did great! The hubs loved the concert--definitely his kind of music! Thanks for the tickets, Dad!

On Saturday, Craig and I drove back to Iowa City for the Iowa game. This was my first time away from Brantley, but I did great knowing he was spending the day with his Gramma and Grandpa - and they were LOVING every minute of it! The weather was perfect - even a little hot, but I'm not going to complain after last year! We tailgated with my aunt and uncle - got demolished in a few games of bags and grilled some yummy barbeque chicken. The hawks beat the UNI Panthers 27-16, thankfully! It was a great day and I got my Iowa football fix for yet another year. :)

Meanwhile, Gramma had fun dressing both grandbabies in their Hawkeye overalls and taking lots of pics. They also went to eat Kids' Day pancakes and watched the Kids' Day Parade (both Fairfield traditions).

We had such a fun weekend with family. Can't wait to see you all again!

Missing my Hawks

It dawned on me this morning that this is the first year since 2000 (2000! I was a senior in high school!) that I won't be attending the Iowa football season opener. #Saddaytobeahawkeye

Eleven straight years that I've been there, cheering on my beloved Hawkeyes. Even in last year's monsoon, we were there with smiles on our faces. Remember that?

But not this year. :(

And not because I have a baby! Believe me, a baby is not going to stop me from doing the things I love, despite suggestions from others!

The game is in Chi-town and, although, I'd love to go, it means we wouldn't get to spend time with the fam. We like to kill two birds with one stone. Especially this year with both new babies. And the fact that Brantley has not even met his cousin Kellen. So, instead we'll be there cheering on the hawks and visiting family two weeks from now when they take on UNI.

But that doesn't mean we can't pretend this weekend! Here's Brantley in his finest black and gold, ready for his first weekend of college football! (Don't worry hubby, he's going to wear crimson and blue for you today!)

Rain or Shine

Saturday's home opener wasn't quite what I had pictured. Afterall, the previous ten home openers were hot, humid, and sunny, so the ~~rain~~ storm was a pretty drastic change. The morning started off pretty well. We set up tailgate, cooked up some breakfast burritos, and met up with friends Anna and Nate. Despite the cloudy skies, the weather was very comfortable and perfect for a fall football kickoff. On our walk to Kinnick stadium, however, the rain started. No big deal, we had ponchos!

Or maybe not. By the time we reached the gates, we were slightly miserable (but nothing compared to what was to come). To make matters worse, the stupid security guard took my umbrella as she searched my purse. Apparently they're not allowed inside the stadium...who knew?!

The rain continued to fall through the 1st quarter, but it was somewhat bearable. It even stopped for awhile and allowed the 70,000+ fans to shed their ponchos!

Enter 3rd quarter.

There was one drop, then two, then the hustle and bustle of fans digging out their ponchos, and then....DOWNPOUR. Correction: monsoon! It was coming down so hard that the stairs were like waterfalls! We stuck it out for awhile, but there's only so much a poncho can do. My shorts (white shorts-poor choice on my part) felt like they just came from the washing machine. Iowa was up 34-0, so we decided to call it good and head out. A few minutes later, the game was delayed due to lightning (a first in Iowa football history) and the stadium was even evacuated due to the storm warning! Pure craziness! We walked 20 minutes to our car and drove for over an hour back to my parents house, only to walk in as the game was being resumed. Turns out, it had been delayed for nearly an hour and a half!

Iowa went on to win 34-7. It wasn't the prettiest of games - lots of fumbles - but what do you expect when it's that wet?

Here are a few pics I snapped on my iPhone. Not the best quality, but I wasn't about to dig out my nice camera.