Fall has arrived!

Fall has arrived! We have had some cooler temperatures this week, which made for enjoyable dinners outside....

...and a fun day touring a college campus. Appalachian hosted an event for counselors, and so I went to Boone with the other counselors at my school, Anna and Cori. We enjoyed our tour of campus and the info sessions, as well as the free food and other goodies. Job perks! :)

 We celebrated my dad's birthday this past Wednesday with dinner and cupcakes. That day would have been my Grandma's 90th birthday, and we missed having her with us, as we often celebrated the two birthdays together. We ate at Cracker Barrel, which was a favorite restaurant of hers. With the energy and busyness of the kids, it was hard to be somber. They kept things happy and lively. My dad had a full lap when it came time for cupcakes. Emmy and Maddox enjoyed blowing out Grandpa's candles, and Eli was eager for a bite. His vocabulary has expanded so much recently, especially when it comes to food. He can say "applesauce", "cereal bar" , "cake" , and "treat." (He continues to call his sippy cup "boat", which we are still not sure where that came from.) Dinner on Wednesday was a special celebration, and while we will always remember Grandma during this time of year, I am thankful for the family memories that we have and the ones that we continue to make. 

After eating dinner, my sister took Emmy shopping in the store of the Cracker Barrel, and the next thing I know, we are bringing home a fluffy, sparkly princess dress. Aunt Megan sure spoils her niece! Megan thought the dress could double as a birthday present and a Halloween costume. Emmy was so excited to try it on when we got home. 

In other happenings, both kids are doing well at school. Emmy is working on her penmanship, and her drawings have started to become recognizable. She is also starting to learn letter sounds and blends. I am so excited for her to read - I hope that she loves it as much as I do.

Our family + Grammy

Eli is doing some crafts as well. It mostly seems like he does crafts at lunchtime with his food...but he has some artwork to show from school too. We just got word that his class is currently closed until October 4th because of a COVID case....so he will be attending Grammy Daycare for the next week. 

It's school picture time, and 3 out of the 4 Kennedys had their pictures made. I'm guessing that Eli wasn't interested in smiling for the camera haha!

On Friday evening, we wrapped up the week with hot dogs and ice cream for dinner at Doss's. On Saturday, we spent a few hours downtown at the Kernersville Spring Folly. This event is usually in the, well, spring, but it was postponed this year. Saturday was the most beautiful fall day, and we enjoyed walking around the booths and vendors. Surprisingly, we kept it under $20, with just a blooming onion and a few hot dogs. I've joked that we have entered "Boomer Kennedy season." He loves this time of year, which is fitting since his birthday is very soon. Saturday was the perfect BK day with the fall weather, fair food, and football on tv in the evening. While I will always love summer best, his enthusiasm for fall is wearing off on me :)

Spotted a frog mascot...

Happy again!

A Week in Lynchburg

I just returned from a week away in Lynchburg. As part of my graduate program, there are two classes called "Intensives." While the rest of the program is online, these two courses have an on-campus component. I am in the first Intensive course now (COSC 505 Techniques of School Counseling). After a good amount of prep beforehand...

...I hit the road in the late afternoon last Sunday and arrived in Lynchburg around 7PM. I quite enjoyed the quiet in the car and in the hotel room. It is rare that I would have so much time alone (and a king sized bed!)

Each day of the week, the morning session included lectures and discussion, and then in the afternoon, we practiced our new skills through role-playing with our classmates. We videoed our mock sessions to submit for grading. My classmates were from all over the United States, and one was even from Germany! It was interesting to hear their stories and all the diverse pathways that have led us to the field of school counseling. The experience was in fact 'intense' and each evening, I was glad for the quiet of my hotel room. Although the papers and deadlines and added stress make me question my return to school, I did enjoy the opportunity to be a fulltime student for a few days. It affirmed my desire to earn this degree and continue my work in a student services role. A big 'thank you' to my support system at home for making this week possible!

Boomer and the kiddos were on my mind often throughout the week. It is the longest that I have ever been away from them. I especially loved our FaceTime calls in the evenings...

...and finding this sweet surprise in my notebook! 

Now that Mommy is back home, we are resuming our normal routine. After the string of sickness and quarantines during August, we have luckily had both kids in school for the last two weeks. Baby Linda has been attending school as well. 

I got some really good hugs when I picked the kids up from school on Friday. Unfortunately Eli was stung by a bee earlier in the day, so he is sporting a small bruise under his left eye - poor guy! 

Boomer had a guys weekend with some of his best buds from Wake. They went to a Dash game on Friday night and then to the Wake vs. Florida State game on Saturday. Today, we traded off kid-duties as I headed to Charlotte for a wedding shower for Carlin. Here are also some pictures of Emmy and me matching at church last Sunday. The weekends go by so fast; I am not sure I am ready for Monday again!  

3-Day Weekends are My Favorite

 Every weekend should be three days, right?! We loved having an extra day to soak up the time with family and friends. It also feels like we could truly reset from the previous week and prepare for the week ahead. On Friday, we went to the football game between Forbush and Starmount. These two schools have a big rivalry, and the game each year is called the Unifi Bowl. While I wore red for my school, Boomer stayed impartial in navy blue. My parents came along too, and they were a big help with Emmy and Eli. Grammy had at least one kid on her lap at all times! We managed to last through halftime when we made an early exit to head home for bedtime. For Eli's first football game, it was a success. Emmy's new baby "Linda" also enjoyed the game :) 

On Saturday, we headed to Star to spend the rest of the weekend with Boomer's parents. Temperatures were in the 70s and 80s, and even though there was a fall breeze in the air, we spent several hours each day in the pool. The kids also loved checking on the chickens and discovering all of the toys in the playroom. Paw Paw grilled kielbasa and burgers. Kids and adults fit in naps, and it was such a relaxing weekend. Saturday was their 39th anniversary - we are so thankful for them and for their example of love!

We spent our extra day off today getting chores done around the house, and then we went out to dinner at East Coast Wings. Here are two photos of Eli looking mischievous and delaying taking a nap!