thankful for november

What a beautiful month we had, and I definitely didn't share enough about it. So I don't forget, here are some other details about the month of November in the C-household:

 Playing outside with sweet friends.

 Leaves falling all around.

 Climbing trees.

 Bikes rides and walks as a family.

 Signing L up for preschool (he won't start until the new year). Feeling so excited for this new stage, and content knowing that he is completely ready for it.

 Anyone who knows L knows that he LOVES to wrestle. Thankfully Daddy obliges when he gets home from work before bedtime. What would we do without this release of energy?!

 Lots of playing in the leaves with friends - some serious fun impromptu leaf parties.

 Teaching Lady-LE just how fun leaves really are (she was quite hesitant first).

R did an overnight shift leading into Thanksgiving Day, so I pushed the kids myself through a neighborhood 5k Turkey Trot. It was awesome, and I am grateful for a sweet neighbor who let me run with her for more than half of it. What a fun way to use our bodies and show gratitude for the blessing of physical strength. 

We shared Thanksgiving dinner with some other resident friends and had a great time. The kids did great, which was definitely a blessing since they were the only kids there. It was neat to be around R's colleagues and get to know them more. Most importantly, I was with R and that made me grateful. 

Life is challenging, but oh so sweet.  

leaves and more leaves

Much like Ohio, North Carolina is gorgeous with fall colors. And especially since we are farther south this year, we are enjoying the colors for much longer! I feel like any outdoor pictures of mine for the entire past month include some activity with the leaves: raking, piling, jumping, hiding, tackling, crashing, running, etc. ALL involved piles of leaves. We have had fun, and I have learned that I really don't mind the raking of leaves. The air is cool and crisp, sometimes even warm. While it's work, it's gratifying work for me. And if Ryan's home and able to rake the leaves, then it always turns into a family party and we jump and run through the piles (much to Ryan's dismay). Here are some fun shots of the month. 

Enjoying the first changes of color - a little before Halloween.

 First experience climbing a tree. (embarrassed that my three year old has never done this before? Yes.) I was giddy as I told R about it later in the evening. Is it just me or is climbing trees the ultimate, quintessential activity for a childhood? We have some neighbors who are experts at climbing trees, and I am truly excited for them to teach L how to master the art.

I feel like L is finally to the age where we doesn't have to "re-learn" each season. He remembers it now, anticipates it, doesn't need to be told what to do (most of the time) and was so excited to throw the leaves up over his head.

 Here are those neighbor boys who L adores. They (and their youngest brother not pictured) are ALL boy, and I love their parents too. 

 Love the fact that they help create their own adventures. 

Holy pile of leaves Batman! We have HUGE oak trees in our front and back yard, and we have raked many, many times to prove it. (and there's still plenty left)

 Absolutely the best people in the world right here. 

 We thought about covering her with the leaves ... but we might have lost her.

 For some reason the large oak tree in our backyard is a week or two behind in changing than the front ones. This is the view out my kitchen window every afternoon. Gorgeous!

 A recent game has been piling leaves under the swing. Definitely a new favorite.

 This perfect little neighbor friend is L's best buddy out here. Oh these kids have such a fun time together (and so do us Mommies). Here we are playing at their house in the leaves. 

Seriously, it is the week of Thanksgiving and there are still plenty of leaves left to fall. Sometimes I'll load the kids in the car and just drive so I can see the beautiful colors.  I love how we've had cold spells, but I was outside today with short sleeves on chatting with the neighbors. Have I mentioned how much I love where we live? We have amazing neighbors and it's just a great place to live! You all should come visit (wink, wink!).