The Big Patch 2016

It isn't fall if we don't visit the big pumpkin patch with my In Laws! This marks our fourth year going and I always look forward to the trip.

It was a beautiful day, the sun was out but it was cool and I was thankful for my scarf. Brielana's orange polka dot top from last year's visit still had some life left in it and Kinsey had these orange leggings, so coordinating outfits happened again; made my mama heart proud ;)

There were so many varieties of pumpkins and gourds! I love seeing all the color variations, textures and shapes! Forgive my many close ups.

Brielana again bonded with the little patty pans and I picked up a few white ones. Kinsey went for a big one and as we were leaving, Brian realized he didn't get any! Haha. Maybe I'll share.

This Farm also has pheasants and turkeys so its fun to walk through the "aviary" but getting pictures was a no-go as the cages were double lined with chicken wire. But those tail feathers are gorgeous!

We also partaked (partook?) in a little corn maze fun. And by little, I mean short :( Due to lack of rain corn just didn't grow well this year. But it was still fun! And I guess when you're under 3 feet everything seems tall anyway. 

When we had had our fill of wandering the stalks we went over to my In Laws house to carve. Kinsey requested a "happy face with teeth" and helped clean out her pumpkin by touching one seed, haha. I'm a seed roasting fanatic so I made sure everyone put their seeds (all gut-free) in a bowl and then I knocked over the bowl into the dirt. Just shoot me. So I ended up sifting seeds and dirt for what felt like forever before they were deemed clean enough to eat. And then after all that I ended up burning them. Not my year for seeds, I suppose.

It was such a great day! And now we have one more patch to go to- a field trip with Kinsey's class that I get to chaperone(!!!) and we're all set for Halloween!

Checked off another item from the Fall Fun list:

mug exchange//anniversary//hayride//photo challenge

Linking up with Jamie, Courtney, Elizabeth and Joni.

   

   

Currently // October

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Reading// I only read one book this month but was it a great read! I had the honor of reviewing Life Creative: Inspiration for Today's Renaissance Mom by Wendy Speake and Kelli Stuart which calls moms to get back in touch with their creative sides during the midst of parenting. 

Being a creative person, I totally resonated with the authors call of being a 'Renaissance women'- a term reserved for for one who is generally known to be talented in many different areas (Speake and Stuart, p 18) because God placed those creative gifts in your life and denying them will only make you feel incomplete. 

I loved that this book was 1) God-centered and 2) written by moms, for moms. It is non-fiction and shares stories by both authors though it is written in a first-person narrative (the blended voice reads as one so there was no awkward transitions which I appreciated.) I caught myself many times nodding my head in agreement with what the authors had shared.

I think the most powerful part for me is knowing that other moms have walked my same journey and have been able to articulate the needs of motherhood both in giving yourself to your family and then being able to take back some time for yourself. I think as women we feel guilty in having "me time" but it really is important.

This book is a wonderful reminder to get back into the creative habit and it really sparked some ideas within me that I'm excited to get working on! 

Watching// It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown  and Hocus Pocus, for the very first time, ever. Kinsey is a big fan now and insists we have to buy it ;) 

Eating// Pumpkin everything. Naturally.

Looking forward to// My 31st Birthday! It's on a Wednesday (so horrible) but I have grand plans for the weekend before and after, lol.

Loving// The fall weather that teases me every other day.

Planning// Kinsey's class Halloween Party #ProudRoomMom.

Pinning// To my Stitch Fix Inspiration Board. I finally scheduled my first Fix and it arrives in time for my Birthday!

Praying// For rain. My Papa. And for some very dear blogging friends that have been heavy on my mind, sending some virtual hugs.

Texting// 

Wearing// My utility vest and all the scarves (when I can get away with it).

Trying// To get ahead on Thanksgiving prep.

Decorating// The last items still left to do before Halloween, like finishing Brielana's costume!

Linking up here.

   

   

Claire from Wedding in Central Park {The Mommylogues Series}

The newest Mommylogues Series guest is Claire and she hails all the way from the UK! My first international guest! 

Hi, I’m Claire. I blog about weddings in Central Park. Since 2011 I have been running a small business planning weddings for couples who want to get married in Central Park. I do it all from home and around my two young children. I used to live in New York, that is where I was when I started the business, since then I have lived in other parts of the US, and have now returned to my home, England. I am mum to Thomas, who will be three in November, and Joseph, who just turned one this September.

I have enjoyed reading the blogs in this series and I was very keen to be a part of it. Thank you for having me, Whitney. I have never been someone who dreams of weddings, nor did I feel sure that I would be a mother someday, and wedding planning and motherhood are certainly roles I have fallen into by accident. So is being home so much and working from home. I am going to talk about being a stay at home mum, and a work from home parent, and about the empowerment I feel those roles have brought me. Also about balance, and keeping a sense of identity while dedicating myself to raising a family. 

Becoming a mum has changed me in ways I could never have imagined. I am sure every single other mum feels the same way. I truly understand what it means to put another person’s needs ahead of yours. I know what it means to love someone so much that you don’t really mind how annoying they can be when they won’t eat the food you made them, when they won’t sleep when you know it’s good for them, or when they fight with their sibling. 

In a sense, my business is my baby, too, you can check out my website if you are considering a wedding in Central Park. I think it was a major part of what kept me sane through the tougher days when my babies were smaller. It is true that it has always been one more job on top of raising my kids, keeping my house clean and feeding my family, but having that extra responsibility away from thinking about running the home has often been a welcome change from mothering.

I didn’t really stop working through my pregnancies and the children’s births. In all these photos I have my children with me, albeit in my belly in three of them. In the US many mothers return to work within just a few months, but in my home, the UK, it is most common for a mother to take a year off work. I remember my husband bringing my laptop in to the hospital for me to answer a few clients’ emails the day after Joseph was born. I take my laptop along on every vacation. Because I can’t miss responding to any clients. When my boys are asleep, I am working, like many other mothers, in all the various ways. I have the housework and cooking, but also my time at the laptop and phone, dealing with clients and making arrangements for them. In some ways, it is just one more obligation, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I like the distraction from kids’ stuff, and I love that I do it all from home, almost always in sweat pants, occasionally in pyjamas.  

It helps that I enjoy my work. I like talking to couples about what they want for their wedding day, discussing their questions and concerns, and helping them to feel relaxed in the run-up to their special day, and confident that all will go smoothly. The thing I like most about my business is that it’s mine. I decide what needs doing and when and then I do it. It’s very empowering. 

I am the primary carer of both my kids, but my husband also works from home now. He went through a massive lifestyle change of going in to an office to do his job of software consultancy, to working out of a small office at the back of our house. My husband is very involved in raising our children and also my parents are invaluable to us in keeping a balance in running a home and a business, and caring for our boys. My husband and I are busy, and we work very hard, but since the birth of our first son we have experienced the massive shock to the system that parenthood brings. We used to be career-focused and out of the house for most of our waking hours, for work and leisure. We have made changes to our lives that allow us to put spending quality time as a family first, while also making a comfortable living, we are extremely fortunate that our skills allow us to make a living working from home. 

I hope my children grow up seeing their parents working hard to provide for them, and that they have an appreciation of how we arrange each hour and balance our responsibilities and working lives to get the best out of our time. I hope they see the empowerment that being self-employed brings. They have parents who are present every day, throughout the day, and I hope this contributes to their upbringing as well-adjusted and happy people.

Claire

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Archives:

My Journey to Motherhood {Introduction to The Mommylogues Series}

Amanda from Tickled Pink

Elizabeth from Chasin' Mason

Beth from Our Pretty Little Girls

Stephanie from Wife Mommy Me

Courtney of Sweet Turtle Soup

Danielle from Sparkles and Lattes

Aubrey of Aubrey Zaruba

Sarah from Seeing All Sides

Jess from Scott Family of Maine

Meghan of The Adventure Starts Here

Liz from Ellie and Addie

Desiree from Macke Monologues

Amy of keepin' up with the Smiths

Jess of Secrets of a Stay At Home Mom

Sarah from Foxy's Domestic Side

Courtney from Shiraz in my Sippy Cup

Nina from The Joni Journey

Crystal from Hall Around Texas

Falling For Fun Photo Challenge {Recap + link up}

It's recap and link up day if you participated in the Falling for Fall Photo Challenge on IG! Thank you for joining Amy, Jess, Stephanie and me! Here are my 28 fall photos:

Day 1: Selfie

Day 2: Comfort food

Day 3: Colors 

Day 4: Outside 

Day 5: My view 

Day 6: Treat 

Day 7: Pumpkin 

Day 8: Cozy 

Day 9: Orange 

Day 10: F is for 

Day 11: Craft 

Day 12: Tradition 

Day 13: Boots 

Day 14: Thankful 

Day 15: Leaves 

Day 16: Warm beverage 

Day 17: Flowers 

Day 18: Festival 

Day 19: Sunset

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Day 20: Favorite spot 

Day 21:Apple cider 

Day 22: Decorations 

Day 23: Layers 

Day 24: Fire 

Day 25: From where I stand

Day 26: Apple

Day 27: Hayride

Day 28: Moment

I had so much fun co hosting this Photo Challenge! It pushed me to be accountable and I had to get creative interpreting the prompts and with the exception of "Day 20: Sunset" I posted a picture every day! I can't wait to see all your photos in their entirety, so link up below!

An InLinkz Link-up

I also got to check off another item on my Fall Fun list!

mug exchange//anniversary//hayride

Linking up here.