A jaunt downtown

one evening in October. 

     We were still enjoying the light evenings that, in a good way (mostly), made it feel like bedtime would never come. For that reason, and to ensure Gray and I didn't lose our sanity, a stroll around Falls Park on the Reedy was the perfect family activity.

 We have been experiencing a drought this year. The Fall was not as spectacular as it usually is.

     We thoroughly enjoyed watching the ducks swim and eat. Tobias liked to get as close as was physically possible before falling in, aka. he loved to give me a fright. He would point and observe and point some more while repeating "Mommy! The Ducks!" more times than I could count.

 This poor goose was so ugly, we came to find out he/she is an actual specie that looks like this ... 

I felt slightly bad for mocking him.

 Little toes dangling too close to the water!

We made a loop around the park stopping at our favorite tea bar, Ocha. The cherry, almond, vanilla milk tea is my favorite thing on the menu right now! On our way back we gazed into the high end art shops and stopped again to admire the ducks. It was perfect, so much so that we had a meltdown in the car about leaving ...

Grate gazing. I'm pretty sure he spent some time dropping stones down there before I noticed.

Sexy butt dad wearing that Ergo like a model, hehe.

Enjoying the porch

on a cool fall day. 

     On Thursdays we wake up a little early. It is a mad dash trying to get out the door by 8:15am which is the latest we can leave. An 8:15am departure ensures we arrive at Mommy's Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) class on time. 

Ty showing Well's his "baby truck" ... Well's got a little scared hehe.

     If we are successful, everyone ends up having a great time. Ty goes to his class and mommy enjoys some grown up Christ-centered discussion while Well's sleeps. This year we are studying John and I am loving the in-depth view. I learn and grow so much through BSF.

 Snot nose. This has been our life this fall!

     Ty loves his class and has picked up quite a few habits from there. Some are cute, some are not so cute. We enjoy the hand in the fist "Amen!" after prayers but the obnoxious "Roar!" could definitely go. He learns a story, sings hymns, and recites a Bible verse that mirrors what the adults are studying. Even though he is too young to tell me what happens in class I had the opportunity to witness it one week. That week was such a blessing! It warms my heart thinking about the intention of his class leaders and what he is being taught. 

     BSF usually ends around 10:40am and we make it home by 11am. On this particular morning they were being so pleasant. We sat on the porch for awhile. Ty drove around his "baby truck" and I snapped pictures while Well's chilled. I like capturing those rare moments of calm.

The monster truck phase is a thing. We have a lot of trucks around here ... I secretly love it.

Watching football with daddy.

     If I didn't have so much laundry to do, so many projects left unfinished, a baby to feed or who knows what else, football season would be my favorite. I know that a lot of those are horrible excuses, but sometimes I'm guilty of letting the To Do List take priority over sitting down and watching a game with my hubby.

     Thankfully I had boys and among other things, football games are included in our "raising them right" theology. So when a games on and it's not nap time or bed time, we encourage Ty to join in. Right now he's engaged for maybe five minutes before getting out his toys, but that (and the fact that he's dressed in head to toe team gear) warms his daddies heart and mine too.

He's learned the art of being distracting, but not too distracting. 

Or maybe Gray is just that concentrated ... the juries still out. 

     Gray can't wait till he's watching the whole game and talking terms and stats and I am just excited to witness it all unfold. There will be many hours of watching football together in their futures.

"Tobias, show mama your game face!" ... Man oh man do I love these two!