Go Hawks!!!

Oh, the joy of football season and fall. Pretty hard to beat!

Same shot from the Hawk's first game last year:

They are at it again...

Only this time they were not quite as eager to let me document the occasion.  Hence, the terrible quality phone picture.
P.S. Owen is SO incredibly tall, in case you hadn't noticed.

In case you forgot what snack time with a toddler looks like...

Twins...

These two came running down the stairs this morning yelling, "Mom! Look!" I'm not sure how many more times they will want to dress alike for school, so I will cherish it while I can.  

A few minutes later I heard giggling coming from the laundry room and found them like this.  Apparently they had decided the dryer would be a good way to clean their shoes off, and they were getting such a kick out of watching the shoes thump all around.

Ezra meets Cuddles Max Davila...

In case you forgot what having a toddler looks like...

This is literally about a 5 minute snippet of his day.  And this was right after he helped me make a smoothie for lunch (picture spinach thrown everywhere, blenders getting plugged in while my back is turned, buttons getting pushed on/off five billion times).  While I was cleaning up the smoothie mess, this little turkey entertained himself in the living room...until he ran into the kitchen and announced, "No no!" He then ran right back to the living room and mischievously smiled at the lamp extension cord that had been unplugged and hauled around the room.  Seriously, this kid!

iPhone Dump...

Ezra and Henry playing at Grandma Hake's:

Soaking up the goodness of the first fires of the season:







Ezra playing at the school open house:

These are the moments...

Owen and Ezra are really into having dance parties upstairs lately.  They close all of the doors so it's pitch black, turn on a night light to give a disco ball effect, blare the music, and dance their hearts out.  The other day, I documented one of their sessions. You'll have to ignore the first 30 seconds of nothing.  Don't quit watching, though.  It's worth the wait.  I tried to crop the video in iMovie, but apparently I have no clue how to use that program.

Back to School...

I honestly can not believe I now have two children in school!  And although I am looking forward to some time alone with Ezra, I will miss the other two terribly.  Sure, it's often mayhem with three boys running around the house, but I thoroughly cherish this time while they are little and still under our wings.  Everybody always says that it goes by quickly, and I now understand that completely!  But I have also loved watching them grow and have enjoyed each new stage.  I guess this is just a reality I'm going to have to accept: my children are growing up faster than I would like.

Last night we had our annual back-to-school dinner.  This year Silas got to choose the main course and Owen chose the dessert: ribs, corn bread muffins, caesar salad, and coffee cake.

I would also like to point out that when I pictured myself as a mother sending her children off to the first day of school, I pictured little girls with braids and specially chosen dresses.  However, God had a better plan.  He gave me boys.  Boys that don't care one single bit what they wear on their first day.  Boys who grab whatever is at the top of their pile and throw it on.  And you know what?  I actually love the result and wouldn't have it any other way.  Truth be told, it's probably a lot cheaper this way!  See, God really does know what He is doing.  :)

At Long Last...

I have been on a quest for quite some time now to find some good healthy baking recipes.  I absolutely love baking and find a lot of comfort in having warm yummy homemade goods available for my boys.  The problem is, most of the recipes I have include quite a bit of refined sugar, and I don't really want to feed my boys oodles of sugar every single day.  Occasionally, sure.  But I have a desire to bake far more frequently than just occasionally.  However, every healthy baking recipe I have tried has been tolerable, at best.  Until now.  This morning I tried a recipe for a healthier banana muffin and they were actually delicious.  Even the boys devoured them.  So, I thought I would share the recipe for any of you that might be interested in trying a yummy, healthier, baked treat.  Just to warn you, they taste quite similar to a bran muffin.  If you like that sort of thing, give them a try!

Find the recipe here:
Whole Grain Banana Blueberry Muffins

For the Record...

I took Owen to get new school shoes yesterday.  When we got home, he encouraged me to try them on.  They fit, with extra room.  My oldest son officially has bigger feet than me!  He is eight.

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The other day I served the boys a salad consisting of romaine lettuce, strawberries, cucumbers, onions, and a poppyseed dressing they had never tried before.   Silas took one bite and, while gagging, said, "This tastes like stink bugs!"

Silas also came out of the bathroom completely frustrated and exasperated yesterday.
Me: What's wrong, bud?
Silas:  When I have my clothes off, I weigh 54.2.  And then, when I put my clothes back on I still weigh 54.2, even when I'm flexing!

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We had company over for dinner earlier this week.  As I was busy preparing food, Ezra was quietly and happily playing downstairs.  He was down there for a good 20 minutes when he finally came up.  As he walked up to me, I noticed he had some grey specks around his mouth and kitty litter in his hair.  I then ran down the stairs to find this:

Note to self: Verify that the bathroom door in the basement is shut before you let your toddler play there unsupervised for an extended period of time.

The Saints Go Camping...

We just came home from a wonderful weekend enjoying the mountains with the Saint H crew.  It was a perfect way to cap off the summer camping adventures.  It was quite chilly most of the time, which felt wonderfully refreshing after this miserable summer heat we have had.  In fact, it really felt like fall.  And if you know me, you know that makes my heart leap and gives me butterflies in my stomach! This weekend was just what I needed!

He's Famous...

Silas said to me today, "Do you know I'm famous?  Auntie Allison said I'm the second most famous person in the world!"

Allison recently took this photo of Silas, and it was chosen to be featured in an online photography gallery.  Although it truly was quite an accomplishment to have her photo featured, I'm nut sure it makes him the second most famous person in the world.  He obviously misunderstood her when she explained it to him.  But hey, we won't burst his bubble quite yet!  :)

I do love the photo, though.  I mean honestly, could life possibly be any better for a little boy?