Our Aweful Beautiful Life

We brought in December with a bang! The first Saturday we spent the day playing basketball and heading to Indy for our annual Stockment Christmas outing! Colton played two games that particular Saturday afternoon. We left right from his second game, with Grandpa Brad and Grandma Jacki to meet the rest of the gang at our dinner destination: Cellblock 104 in Lebanon. I'd heard of this place, but never been there myself. What an adventure this was. It's the old Boone County Jail, transformed into a restaurant. Upon entering, we were hit with a smell that made me immediately regret suggesting this place. (I've done this in the past...suggested supposed super cool place, and it winds up being a total bust). However, once inside, and shown up to our "private" room -- we were so thrilled. #nailedit! Because when we all go somewhere together our group number hits 15, they put our reservation in "basically, we'll put you in the old drunk tank...it's a large ...

You know life is getting rough to keep up with one you have one post a month. Sorry. #notsorry. I want to keep this blog up, because I treasure it and I pray someday my children will to. But right now, life is moving at a pace faster than I can blog so bear with me. I'm trying.... November in a nutshell was basically some random outings, basketball, Thanksgiving, Keaton's first Thanksgiving Feast at Prek, and the preparation for Christmas....at the end of November. So here we go.... November in pictures... Keaton's first Prek Feast Colton's team played at halftime of the Varsity Boys Basketball game in early January. While he was fun to watch on the varsity courts....Keaton was obsessed with Freddie Falcon! We topped the night with a quick drive through Lowery's Christmas lights in Reynolds. Thanksgiving break was also packed with fun -- we got to see Wonder, which was a book the 4th graders had been reading. We of course took all the siblings, and h...

There's absolutely no chance for our family to get bored. I find myself sometimes marveling in the way time moves so quickly, but when we start baseball in late March, finish in late July, roll right into football and finish it up in late October, only to roll right into basketball that carries us to basically Christmas.....it's no wonder time moves so quick. Alas, we'd have it no other way...watching these kids do what they love is our life's joy, and while it makes time go quickly, it's a joy to spend our days chasing their dreams. Basketball is always kind of an "eh, maybe" for Colton....and I think really for no other reason than he's just kind of TIRED. (Read: above...). However, once he's into practice, he's ALL IN. I'm talking dribbling in the house, on the drive, shooting hoops every spare chance he gets, moving the mini-indoor hoop from here to there to practice trick shots. ALL. IN. As with football, it's been fun to watch...

We already mentioned that our fall was filled with lots of football, but when we weren't on the field, we were in the field. Not the football field, but the farm fields. If my kids hearts are full, then there is surely a tractor or cow nearby. And quite possibly nothing tops Double Grandpa Day, when Grandpa Kent harvests the Reynolds farms crops and hauls grain to Co-Alliance to Grandpa Brad. We probably drive our Grandpa's nuts on this day, but think of all the memories these kids hearts are being filled with. We are so lucky to be able to enjoy this season with family. It's our very favorite.

As I type that title to this blog post, I'm thinking it's probably a recurring post title. Fall is truly our favorite though. Kids are back to school, which means our life is back to routine. Colton plays football. Emmalyn chose to join the Cheer Squad for football. Keaton started school. It's HARVEST time, which is all of our favorite. It's cooling off, yet still warm in the sunshine. It smells good. We shut off the A/C and open the windows. Life is GOOD in the fall. This fall -- it was EXTRA good. Last year in football, Colton got to play quite a bit, but there was a feeling of newness....not really "getting" it. (Dude, no offense either, because Mom still doesn't get it....I just cheer when I see your number (or socks) heading in a positive direction!). This year...Colton, this year, you GET IT. Do you know how fun that is? You understand the game, and your role in the game. You were a BOSS on that field and it was a FUN season. You are blessed with s...

One would think that once school starts back up, we would fall into a routine and get life going again. Morning routines. Evening routines. Weekends that were a touch slower than summertime. I suppose One wouldn't know the Stockment family. We seem to know one speed.....on the go! This is a good and bad thing, but boy are we filling up our memory banks and enjoying our time together. Some late August/September highlights: Prophetstown Camping Keaton Adenoids Surgery Labor Day Camping Football/Cheer Apple Popcorn Festival Emmalyn's Hardware removal surgery Did you catch that? Two surgeries for two children in two months. This year has been a ZINGER. Oh ya, and two camping trips in back to back weekends. And football/cheer every weekend from 9/9 on....add in some 2nd and 4th grade homework, the purchase of Colton's 2018 Steer and some unexpected stitches for Emmalyn (3 days before surgery on her arm...ya....she needs to be wrapped in bubble wrap) it's been a bus...