Friday Favorites #29

Yay for Friday! This week was busy with a soccer game, Ryan traveling for work, Faith Formation classes, speech therapy, haircuts, a ridiculously long window estimate presentation…hoping to stay in tonight, chill with a glass of red, and watch a Halloween movie as a family. The weather hasn’t been ideal, but it is fall, and it looks like it may be getting a little better next week, fingers crossed!

As for the weekend ahead, we have a soccer game early tomorrow morning. A trip to the pumpkin patch might be on the agenda if the weather cooperates. I’m cheap and already purchased our pumpkins from Costco (ha-ha) so maybe we’ll carve them this weekend. Keep reading for this week’s roundup of favorites and enjoy a lovely fall weekend!

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

This is my third Kristin Hannah book and by now I know to be prepared for an emotionally gripping journey each time. Reading her novels are also like taking a history class as they are so well researched, and I learn a lot while reading. The Great Alone has a very unique setting of remote Alaska in the mid 70s. This is a long one, and I am only about 25% into it but completely invested in the plot and main characters already. I will probably keep it as a favorite next week and give a full review for you. Stay tuned!

Mitchell Creek Nature Sanctuary

This week, we explored a new natural area pretty close to where our boys attend school, Mitchell Creek Nature Sanctuary. It was a chilly, windy day but the sun shone through the clouds providing some relief. We walked along a trail which varied from gravel to grass to boardwalk. The main highlights were spotting a bald eagle’s nest and a corral full of goats! It always feels good to get outside no matter the weather and I think we’ll be back here for sure.

Halloween Costume Prep

One of my favorite Halloween traditions is assembling a family costume. I look forward to it every year! The past few years have revolved around what the boys want to be which is expected. It took a while to decide, but we finally have our minds made up! I started making lists, planning, and purchasing items this week. It’s so fun to put a family costume together and I can’t wait to trick or treat as a family with the completed look. The above photo is a sneak peak of my costume if you want to try and guess. I’m not telling though!

Here are some flashbacks of costumes of years past!

Rainy Weekday Soccer Game

While the weather was not ideal on Tuesday for Drew and Luke’s game (cold and rainy) it was still a highlight this week. It’s been a joy to watch Ryan coach and see how far the team has come this season. Not only did we win but they played so well together as a team, and a few boys are finally reaching their potential and showing so much improvement. I told Ryan you kind of know what it feels like to be a teacher now;)

A Beautiful Fall Day

We’ve had a quite a stretch of cold, wet days so I welcomed the sunshine on Thursday with open arms. It happened to be my day with Owen so we enjoyed it together. First, a quick stop to Joann Fabrics for a few costume supplies. Owen LOVES all things Halloween!

Then it was off to the library for our weekly story time. This visit was extra fun because a local firefighter read the story in celebration of Fire Safety Week.

Owen played for a bit in the children’s area then we grabbed coffee (hot cocoa for Owen) at a cute little stand nearby called The Daily Grind Coffee Drive Thru.

While driving home along the bay, I decided to stop and enjoy my coffee with Owen by the water. We soaked up the rays, hunted for rocks, and of course looked at the beautiful views. God is good!

After that, we went home for lunch, and I did a few things around the house while Owen played with his dinosaurs. We decided on a visit to Gallagher’s Farm Market before picking up brothers from school. Owen’s most favorite thing is to feed the goats, so he spent most of his time doing that. A very kind lady gave him a quarter to purchase food.

There’s also a hay maze he really enjoys and a tricycle to ride around the farm. The views are beautiful too! The colors are late here but they definitely are beginning to pop!