Work, Fun, Rest, Repeat

We have been enjoying all the September activities, including football, birthday parties, and time with family. On Friday, there were two very big football games for the Kennedys - Wake Forest vs. UNC Chapel Hill and Forbush vs. Starmount. The college game was not originally supposed to be played on Friday night. Boomer was especially bummed when the schedule changed, because it meant a conflict with the Forbush game. Emmy and Boomer were sporting both of their teams' gear on Friday in anticipation of the evening's games. Before kickoff in East Bend, we managed to watch a little bit of the Wake game in Boomer's office. The Forbush/Starmount rivalry is one that brings an equal amount of excitement and stress to the football season. The week leading up to the game is usually Spirit Week, and then the game, whether home or away, brings a huge crowd. The energy and tension always mean a bit of stress on Boomer's part, but I know he loves the rivalry of small town football. Emmy and I stayed through the 1st Quarter, and Emmy had fun playing with Levi, the son of a teacher at Boomer's school. Michelle and I had Levi and Emmy within days of each other and have had a few play dates over the last two years. I couldn't help putting together a side-by-side comparison from Friday night's game and from Summer 2018 - they are getting so big! The Falcons had a strong second half, but sadly they lost 35-29. Wake Forest, quite the opposite, actually had a pretty poor second half but luckily still won 24-18. We are proud of both of our teams - Go Deacs, Go Falcons!  

This past week, my grandparents were visiting from Florida, and we were able to see them several times after work and on the weekend. Our whole crew had dinner together on Tuesday evening at the Loop. On other days, Zander, Maddox, and Emmy provided extra entertainment as Mom and Grandma Harriet picked them up from school. 

Emmy spent extra time with my parents and grandparents on Saturday while Boomer and I enjoyed a fun day with friends. We planned a winery double-date with Jared and Ashley, an annual back-to-school outing that has now been a tradition for the last 5 years. This year we went to Cellar 4201 in East Bend and Medaloni Cellars in Lewisville. Of course I wasn't able to sample any of the wine, but regardless, we always have so much fun with the Joneses. It is neat to be in such a similar season of life with these sweet friends. After our two winery stops, we ended with dinner at 4th Street Filling Station, where Jared had planned a special surprise party for Ashley's 30th birthday. She was completely surprised and was shocked that we had been so sneaky all day. It was so fun to be in on the surprise with Jared and to spend an evening with our other mutual friends.

Here are a few of the photos we received throughout the day during our winery adventures. My mom 'restored' a pink dress that was mine growing up, and Emmy loved playing princess in it. Emmy spent the night at Grammy and Grandpa's, and then we met for brunch (played hooky from church!) to pick her up. It was a little strange to have a quiet, kid-free house this morning, but the little bit of extra sleep was nice. I'm hoping there are more sleepovers at Grammy's in the future! :)

The rest of the days of the week have settled into a nice routine. We continue to visit Grandma Nancy most Sundays after church. Emmy loves running ahead down the hallway to knock on Gma's door, and she especially loves the peanut M&Ms that Gma keeps in a candy dish. On the weekdays when Boomer has school events, I try to get to Emmy's daycare as soon as I can. With the summer heat still sending temps into the 80s and 90s, Emmy is usually a bit of a mess from being outside and playing with her classmates. Over the last few days, I have had to mend several holes in the knees of her pants, and she is quickly wearing out her tennis shoes. I try to look on the positive - that her general state of dishevelment is a sign of how much fun she has during a day at school! After I pick her up, Emmy and I use the short evening hours for dinner, errands, bath, and play time. The hours go by quickly, and I find that I am ready for 8PM when I get to put my feet up for the night. I continue to feel good during my pregnancy, but rest and downtime are rare. It was nice to have a bit more of both this weekend.