In a funk...

"Don't try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say.  It's the one and only thing you have to offer." --Barbara Kingsolver

 Are you ever in a bit of a funk?  Do you ever have a bad day/week/month where you can't seem to shake that feeling?  It may not be an incredibly horrible feeling, but something is lurking there in the back of your mind and you just can't shake it.  It's keeping you from being your regular old self?

 I felt like that today.  A few things on my mind.  Nothing life and death, but still enough to put me in a mood.  You know in the back of your mind that it will be ok and yet...it still gets you. 

 Let me ask you something...do you think there's any worse feeling in the world than to see somebody that you care about go through something that you can do absolutely nothing about?  You see that person upset and you sit there feeling helpless.  What do you do?  What do you say?  I hate when things are completely out of our control. 

 I guess you just be there for support, right?  I can't really think of anything else to do.  It doesn't make it any easier though.

 I'm a worrywart.  I try not to be, because how often do I worry about things that never even happen?  Right.  Probably a lot. 

 Sometimes I feel like it's so hard to trust the plan.  God's plan for this life of mine.  Of ours.  I want to know what's going to happen, but things aren't on our time.  I know that, but I'm still not patient. 

Someday it will all make sense.  It just doesn't right now. 

 I'm so lucky to have the hubby that I do.  The calm to my crazy, as I always say.  He's always telling me to relax.  That things will work out.  That everything will be ok.  And, he's always right. 

 My favorite part of getting snow are those hours or day(s) immediately following where everything is white and pretty.  And, when you got about a foot like we did, it just feels extra pretty to look at right now. 

 All day I had this nagging feeling that I should go take some pictures outside.  I kept thinking, "Gosh, it's pretty out here," when I was playing with the twins this afternoon. 

 When the kiddos got home from school and Aaron left to ref, I grabbed the camera and went outside and just walked around our block.  I'm so glad I did.  It was what I needed. 

 I felt like it was my reminder to stop.  Take a deep breath.  Look around.  Appreciate it. 

So here's to tomorrow being a new day.  With new possibilities.  And less funk, of course. ;)

Iowa vs. ISU

So...to make a long story short, Aaron decided to see if he could get a press pass to Iowa State football for the season.  West Marshall has four alumni that are on the team, so I told him a story had to come out of it!  

He met with one of his former baseball players who was on the ISU football team and then due to injury, is now part of the coaching staff. Kody is a really good kid and I think the story Aaron wrote really shows that!

The bonus of this pass? The Hawks happened to play at Jack Trice this season.  Aaron took a bunch of pictures (371 to be exact) and these are ten of his favorites:

 Story on this picture below: Aaron felt a tap on his shoulder, turned around and there stood Herky.  Aaron thought he wanted a picture taken, but no.  Herky wanted to take Aaron's picture.  Apparently with a mascot costume, it's hard to focus. ;)

It's a HAWKEYE state!

How about some pictures?!

I've been busy.  Like super busy.  Like I took the twins to daycare every single day last week.  That hasn't happened, maybe ever?!  I don't know.  Anyway, between work and picture taking and trying to, as I told Blake's doctor, "shove my entire life into last week because there was so much uncertainty," there was a lot going on. 

I realized on Saturday that I haven't posted any pictures on our blog since the end of August.  Unacceptable! ;) To be honest, I hadn't even taken any pictures of the kiddos with my good camera in September.  I KNOW.  On Saturday afternoon, I told Aaron that I wanted to go up to the football field in our Hawkeye gear and just take some fun pictures.  

Here's some of my favorites:

The twins "wrestle" constantly.  It's one of their favorite activities.  Last week during the Hawkeye game Blake's head hit the corner of the wall and there was blood gushing everywhere and we thought he was going to need stitches, but luckily Aaron got it to stop.  Five minutes after that Blake turned to Bowen and said with a big smile on his face, "Wrestle?!"  These two fear nothing!!

 Blakers...

 Brody trying to outrun a very determined Bowen.

 Bowen.  And this face.  All the time.

 We had middle school football pictures last week and the kids were there.  Apparently Brody paid attention and wanted to pose like the big boys.  I can't even... Why does he have to look so big in this picture?

 Miss Photogenic. :)

 Dog pile on daddy!

 A rare moment.  Two cooperative two year olds.  I adore them.  I can't imagine how quiet our life would be without them.  Having twins is an experience I wouldn't trade for anything.

 Practicing our three point stance.

 Tackling...Sort of. ;)

 Aaron and his mini me.

This was my favorite picture of the day.  All four kids smiling means I should have maybe gone and bought a lottery ticket too or something.  Ha!

 It was a good weekend!  The Hawkeyes won, which means life is good!  Especially when you live as close to Ames as we do! ;)

Picture taking, Part Two

Jenna had been begging to go to Reiman Gardens for the past month, so we decided to surprise the kids on Aaron's last day of summer vacation with a trip there.  It was so pretty and the kids had so much fun! 

I think after the first photo fiasco we went in with our expectations pretty low and just because, we had them wear their outfits again.  We promised if we got even one good picture it would be a good day.  Oddly enough, we ended up with a handful of LIKES!  Yaaaay!   

Even though we were surrounded by pretty colors, I just like these in black and white.  I just do.  Ok, so, here's what we got:

 Blake

Bowen

 Blake

 Bowen

 

We were still struggling to get them to all sit still and look at the camera, so I had an idea.  Let them move!  And then...take the picture!  This was the result and I like it alot. :)

 Double Trouble. ;)