Brody and the Steelers {Football 2018}

Brody played his first season of little league football this fall.  Yes, it was tackle football.  We weren't sure how the season would play out for him since Brody is not an aggressive or even athletic kid.  He has tried baseball and soccer and didn't really love either one.  We knew football would be tough on him physically, but we wanted to give it a chance.  Practices were tough for him at first because they expect a lot of the kids, and it is still very hot this time of year.  He learned to work through the heat and exhaustion and also learned to be more aggressive as he learned to tackle his opponent.  He never gave up.  Brody was one of the youngest players on his team, but he was comparable in size to most players.  He learned to play on the defensive line usually near the center where he was paired against some bigger players on the opposition.  Surprisingly, Brody really enjoyed the challenge and wanted to play another year.  It may have helped that Brody was on a good team with good coaches who gave him plenty of playing time.  They were an undefeated team and won their final championship game.  It was such a fun season for him!

Brody was such a handsome Steeler. 

He takes the field. 

Going head to head against his larger opponent. 

Getting a pep talk from his coaches. 

Grayson liked watching big brother play. 

That's my boy!  Go #1!

Run, Brody, Run!

Big brother Evan helped him with his helmet and gave him some advice.   He had his own personal coach. 

He cheered from the sidelines when he wasn't on the field. 

You can keep up with Brody on the field by his red shoes and his #1 jersey.  He was also one of the smallest kids on his team this year.  

One of the only times Brody got knocked down.  He learned quick and was ready the next snap. 

Go get 'em, Brody! 

Our #1 is ready for another game.

Down...set...hike!

Winning 27 to 0 was the normal for this team. 

He was very proud of himself. 

He got to help with the coin toss this game. 

Getting a snack after the game was probably his favorite part. 

His sweet friend got to cheer for him this game. 

Go Steelers! 

Steelers versus Falcons.  Yep, the Steelers won. 

Brody was a fighter.  Not bad for my little Ferdinand the bull. 

I love watching him in action.  This sport really clicked for him. 

Go Steelers Defense!  We were ready for our championship game. 

Brody and his team took home the first place trophies. 

A solid victory at 24 to 0.  Evan's cheerleader was proud of him.  Her uniform even matched their team.  Our town's main team colors are black and gold.  All of our schools share the same colors and mascot.  

Obliging October {2018}

October had its fair share of good times and some sad times as we said goodbye to our beloved Grandpa.  Our days were filled with a lot of outside adventures as we traveled more with two kids in sports and traveled to be with family.  Sometimes, I really appreciate these more mundane memories that would get lost in time amidst the more impressive memories of vacationing and big life events.  If not for my posts about these random moments, I would likely never remember them again.  When I look back at such posts as these, I always smile fondly remembering what I have forgotten.  I am so thankful that I can memorialize these memories for my future self if for no one else's pleasure.

We captured some family pictures as were dressed semi-nice for Grandpa's funeral visitation with family. 

I love those boys! 

Mattox's cute expressions get me every time. 

Big brother Brody is his hero.  He copies him picking flowers or doing anything Brody does these days. 

Playing with big brother Evan is fun too. 

These boys are learning to work together to accomplish some big tasks.  They were spreading their blanket on the ground during big brother Brody's football practice. 

These sweet boys are basically inseparable.  They come as a pair. 

We practiced our snorkeling with some special masks we received in our kids' meals. 

Yes, we still enjoyed a random beach day because October can be the best month for it here.  It is considerably less hot and less crowded than the summer months. 

Just building sandcastles together. 

Evan guards his sandcastle fortress from the tide. 

Just a couple enjoying the beach together even with five kids playing nearby. 

Grayson is a shoe thief.  

Daddy watches Brody carefully while he practices his wave riding skills.  

We love afternoons at the beach in the setting sun.  

I love those little toes in the water. Mattox wanted to ride the boogie board too. 

I just love the look of sea oats swaying in the ocean breeze. 

All of the boys enjoyed this little firetruck while we waited for a store to open. 

Grayson is such a cute little driver. 

We were having a movie night at home, but I forget which one.  I think we also picked up some Krispy Kreme doughnuts on the way home, but I didn't get pictures of those. We just can't resist that hot doughnuts now light. 

I just love hanging out with these sweet boys.  Grayson's smiles are the best! 

Another rainy day in Georgia.  I think Brody has soap bubbles on his face like a beard, but it is hard to see in these pictures.  Haha! 

Mattox got his hearing aid on this day.  He acted like such a big boy and really wanted to wear it. 

We took him to eat pizza at his favorite restaurant to celebrate.  Grayson points at the pizza man on the wall. 

We commemorated Mattox's big day getting his hearing aid. 

We had parent teacher conferences at Brody's school, and the little kids loved this little fall pumpkin display. 

Pumpkins are so exciting, you know! 

Dinner out with all of our boys. 

I wish the picture of Evan wasn't so dark because I love his big smile. He is so silly sometimes. 

These two cute little boys practiced putting their baby to bed in preparation for their new baby's arrival.  I just love pictures of my sleeping babies. I really see some similarities in Mattox's face here and mine and my brother's faces at that age.  I always say he looks like Eddie so I am surprised to often see myself in him. 

These silly boys were playing in this little shaded playground during one of big brother Evan's soccer games. It was such a hot day! 

Mattox liked this little swing that was a very comfortable size for him. Grayson preferred playing in the dirt. 

I really thought this little memorial to the people who died on September 11, 2001 was touching and very well done.  This was in a very small, rural town in southern Georgia.  

I was attempting a pregnancy selfie in the mirror as I was terrible about documenting my pregnancy with Maggie.  I just didn't feel comfortable much of the time, but I do want her to know that Mommy loved carrying her.  I also appreciated a good bubble bath then and cuddling with my baby boy in the bed.  He gets as close as he can when he is sleepy. 

All four boys eating breakfast together is rare these days. 

My little pirate pumpkin.  Grayson enjoyed playing in Grandma's yard during our visit.  This yard hasn't changed much since Eddie's Grandma was alive.  The house is now the primary residence of Eddie's mom.  

Cocoa was enjoying playing with her brothers in the yard. 

Just enjoying a seat on the front porch. 

The boys love pretending to be pirates so they loved these little masks cutouts from a kids' meal.  Big brother Brody made Mattox a little treasure box to hold his pirate treasure, and it is seriously one of his favorite toys.  Almost a year later, he still has it and plays with it. I know it may seem like trash to most people, but I cannot bear to part with it because it really is so sweet how they play with it. 

These boys and I rest and watch some Lego Scooby Doo adventures. 

He's just so cute!  

We voted as Georgia residents for the first time.  I didn't do it the first year we were here because I didn't feel I knew the candidates well enough.  I still left some blank if I didn't know them. 

This purple dinosaur at a park somewhere in rural Georgia brought back some big memories of our time in Charlotte where almost every park had one of these.  Our boys love it! 

Grayson definitely loves dinosaurs. 

I had to make a comparison to when Evan and Brody used to ride at about the same age. 

Grayson is learning to play at the park like a big boy. 

I made a big pot of homemade vegetable soup because what could be better in the Fall?  Grayson is so silly and loves riding on his daddy like a horse and pretending to play on my computer. 

In preparation for Halloween, I prepared a little comparison of all of our past Halloween costumes.   

Of course, the first four belonged solely to Evan. 

Brody wore two costumes his first Halloween, and in 2011 and 2013, we started doing themed costume sets.  

I really loved the Ghostbusters, Harry Potter, Pac-Man, and Doctor Who themes we have done in previous years.