Fall Fun and Elle's Final Cross Country Highlights

Drew having so much fun with his buddies! After a Saturday morning basketball game for his JBA league, out to eat for wings, then bowling, then a birthday party with his team!

Me and my girl. 💗

After soccer, Luke making cookies...

Our kitchen table has become the homework table too.

Luke with his buddies for Bobby's birthday at a haunted house...

We had a soccer tournament for both kids in Monroe! We have never stayed the night when having games down in Monroe but some of the girls on Elle's team had gotten a room and we had yet to stay over night somewhere for one of Elle's tournaments sooooo, we made sure to make it happen for her this time around!

Also, as we walked into the hotel that night Amanda and Joe were there!! It was the best surprise!!

Drew stayed back with Cosbey's while we were at the tournament.

They ate at the Fire Station spaghetti dinner downtown!

Went trick or treating downtown...

And even got in a round of bowling... I think he had a good time too. :)

Ellie killing it on Hart's XC team!!

Uncle Tom, Aunt Cathy, Uncle Chad, Harlow and Gavin came to cheer her on at the meet in LO!

Cousins are the best.

We are so proud of you, Ellie, for willing to try something new and going out and crushing it!

Luke was part of this basketball conditioning at Borden park to get ready for basketball tryouts. Gavin and Uncle Chad came to cheer him on. :)

 

The Cottage: October 2023

 

Our cottage trip 2023!! 

We typically make our way to the cottage for our annual trip late July to early August. However, because of our East side road trip we had to adjust just a bit. We weren't for sure if we would make it up. I am so grateful for this new fall break that we have in the first part of October so that we could make it happen. We love the tempo of all our kids things. For the fall: Drew is in his school's Student Council, flag football, JBA basketball, and a bit of Raptors baseball training here and there. Elle is in travel soccer, JBA basketball, and Cross Country. Luke is in travel soccer, training for travel baseball here and there, and conditioning for basketball tryouts. Between school, work, and all the things, it felt good to catch our breath and have some downtime. We were able to enjoy our time together and guess what...Fall at the cottage is just as beautiful as the summer! Who knew?!

A little family drama here and there of course comes with the territory of having 5 people in one family. We are not without our own family drama, that's for sure!! We drove all the way to the cottage. Pulled in. Looked for the keys and guess what. They weren't there. So, here we are. Ready to unload and we have no way of getting in. After some fits from all of us, Drew in tears, we had to turn back around and drive back to Rochester to get the keys. Once we had the keys, the kids were all asleep in the van. Ben and I looked at each other and agreed, welp, let's head back to the cottage. So, we drove back up there! We woke the kids up at 3:30 am when we arrived and here they are all nestled in their beds. OMG.  

The next day God sent us this rainbow. Just for us, I swear, to put a smile on our faces and help us find the humor in driving almost 8 hours back and forth to get here!! We told Aunt Cathy and Uncle Tom we could've met them over in England (where they were traveling) in that amount of time!

SO happy to be here together.

Lots of cuddling, watching movies, reading books, eating, and lounging in front of the fire.

A few rounds of hockey.

Apples were ripe in Uncle Tom and Aunt Cathy's orchard!

A walk downtown and playing at the park.

Our first time ever being up at the cottage during the Lions season to watch them play!

Eating Ben's wings for the game.

A few rounds of golf on the most beautiful fall day!!

And this was so fun. Playing golf on the course at night with light up golf balls! 

It is pitch black in all the pics below. Trying to hit the ball off the tee, then finding all the glow golf balls that we hit and trying to get them on the green. So fun!