first game

After 12 years at the same high school as an assistant baseball and football coach, B moved to a local middle school this year and took over as athletic director, head football and head baseball coach.  It has been wonderful for our family time and a blessing professionally for him too.

We are adjusting to little changes like going to games on different days of the week (instead of always Friday) during the heat of the day instead of later at night.  But mostly, it has been an easy and good transition.  His first game ended in a tie, but they played great and were in it the whole way!  So so proud of the leader he is.  It's fun to watch him in this new role :)

Fan club...so thankful the Links came to cheer him on :)

(I didn't realize that my camera was on the different setting until that pic because of the brightness outside...)

Post-game talk with the players

Such a great start to the season!  So thankful for a great group of coaches, players and parents to work with too.  Go Pack!

preschool book club

It's as cute as it sounds.  Every Wednesday, Jenn puts together an adorable hour or so of activities, crafts and snacks based on the book that Sam and Garner are working on that week.  A handful of other families bring their 3-5 year olds too and we love it.  Garner asks almost daily if it's time yet for her book club again :))

The first week, we did "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom."  After everyone arrives and gets settled, they circle up to hear Jenn read...

Tasting different forms of coconut...

Coconut tree snack

Some craft time...

And a bag of treats in front of the alphabet coconut tree...this book is one of my all-time favorites :))

Week two was "Brown Bear, Brown Bear"...I didn't get as many pictures, but it was every bit as cute!

We are beyond grateful for the time that Jenn puts in to making such a fun environment and special activity for Garner to have as her own...especially one that further encourages her love for books!  Thank you, Jenn!  We love it :)

sam's pirate party

Sam turned 4 in August and what a cute pirate party he had!

Sweet girls getting their tatts done :)

Sam and Garner...best best buds

The Links have a great backyard for parties...

Arghhh...Pirate Greer :)

Digging for treasures

Pirate party people

Garner is never far :))

Treasure hunting

And reading with Jenn after the crowd was gone.  Love :)

So crazy that our littles are moving so close to elementary school-age.  Happy birthday, cutie Sam!  Love you lots :))

starting school

I couldn't help but laugh at the coffee cup I happened to choose the first day of school...it set the tone well as the kiddos enjoyed breakfast with their buds before we dove in!

Greer decorated for us as we entered the school room that morning :)

Garner LOVES having her own work to do and Jenn has put together great unit lessons each week for her and Sam.  We put activities on trays each day and she cannot wait to get started.  "I wanna do my trays!"  She loved having Annalise here that first day to work with her :)

Sweet, creative Greer made up a poem for Garner too

Lego letters :)

Got around to taking a pic on day 2 or 3 ;)

4th grade, K3 and 1st grade this year...it is flying by!

So thankful for this time with them...and the wardrobe freedom being home allows ;)

Happy school year...more pics to surely come :))

weekend with the rucks

We love our weekends with some of our favorite kiddos, Annalise, Gentry and Campbell.  They spent a weekend with us in August and we all had a great time :)

Bedtime for bonzos

The girls crafts quite the elaborate sleeping area and Garner got her first chance to join the sleepover action...

She was so nervous about having to go back to her room that she was completely silent and still once we turned the lights out.  We found her racked out and off her mattress when we checked on them later :)

Ready for church on Sunday morning...seriously cute kiddos!  The back story here is that the Massey girls both wanted to stand by Annalise and the Rucker boys by Gehrig...hence the lineup order.  Also, our girls loved Annalise's hair pulled up and begged to have theirs done the same.  Love their love for each other :))

We had the cool opportunity to go watch a mutual friend be baptized in the lake that afternoon...so special to celebrate their friends' new life in Christ.  It was beautiful :)

And breakfast Monday to start our first school day!  Love these faces so much and love having a full table of kids in our house :)