Fall photos

You know that old saying, "the best laid plans..."  Well, that was how I felt today after my attempt at a photo shoot for my kiddos.  The day was gorgeous: blue sky, lots of sun (not always great for photos, but there were enough clouds to make a go of it), warm enough for just a sweater and no rain.  So I found some fallish sweaters for the big kids and went to town looking for something for Isaac (I had a gift card specifically for this purpose).  We struck out at Walmart, so I used the gift card for family essentials and found a cute sweater for my guy at Target. 

Then we headed off to the lake.  I had done a shoot out there a week ago that the scenery was awesome for.

However, I forgot to take into account the torrential rains we had last week. Of course I think my kids are adorable so anywhere will work, right? Unfortunately, I didn't realize that the rain decimated the leaves on the trees and filled the lakebed with water.  This shot was no longer possible.  That was REALLY sad, because I love it and I wanted it for my kids.

But we made do. I stood below this dock to take pictures last week, today the water came right up underneath it.  There was no standing below it today. But Micah definitely seems to be at home on the water, doesn't he?

Here, we found a little bit of yellow still left on the trees, but JJ appears more interested in the stick he found than in any photo shoot.  Maybe that's why I absolutely love this shot.

Chloe is certainly growing up to be a big helper. 

She's such a big girl and she's really sweet to her little brothers (most of the time).

Isaac is getting big too, big enough he stayed awake and happy to sit for the camera with his big sister.  Aren't they sweet together?

We had a great time out together despite the rough start.  And it was a great day to be outside even without any picture taking.  I hope we have a few more days like it this year before it gets any colder.  I just love fall.

Our own little pumpkin patch

Last night was Trunk or Treat.  I had already planned on Isaac wearing the pumpkin costume I made for Jadon when he was a baby

so Micah and Jadon wanted to be pumpkins too. 

Chloe wanted to be different and be flower this year.

So we got them all dressed up to go to the church where Kevin's cousin and his family actually had a jungle theme set up in there trunk. They even included the boys' costumes in the theme.

The kids were adorable and they all had a really great time. I can't wait to see what they come up with next year!!

Are you ready...?

...For some Football?

The last two weeks have been completely chaotic.  I must have been insane when I filled my schedule to overflowing just a month after having a baby.  We have had dr appts and photo shoots and retreats and just a few birthday parties.  But we survived and had a little fun on the way. 


Micah and Jadon's birthdays are exactly 4 weeks apart, and because of the sheer number of fall birthdays in the Rodie clan, we've celebrated them together the last couple of years.  Last year, we had an airplane party at the church where we threw paratroopers and foam gliders off the balcony into the gym.  I wasn't sure if we could top that this year, but we sure had a good time trying. 


Everyone agrees that Micah is the king of baseball, but Jadon has become a pretty big football fan.  And what's more appropriate for fall birthdays than football?  So we borrowed some flags from Aunt Jody, and invited all our friends.  And then we prayed for good weather.  It turned out to be a perfectly fall day.  We did get a little sprinkle during the game, but not too bad at all.


So how do you throw a football party with a bunch of kids ages 3 to 7?  Well first you need teams.

Kevin and Justin were our captains.  They did a great job teaching the kids how to play.  And how cute are these little football huddles?


Then you start running!

Caleb was a little intimidated to begin with, but he quickly got the hang of the game.  Look at him go!!


Of course we had to have a cheerleader.  "Touchdown!" 

Eliana was happy to oblige.

After an hour, all the kids were pretty tired and sweaty so we headed inside for some cake and yummy hot chocolate.  What a great party!

A month already?!

Little Isaac turned one month old yesterday.  I can hardly believe it.  I know that sounds cliché, but really, it seems like he was just born the other day.  At the same time, so much has happened in the last month.  For one thing, he's gotten really big!  He weighs about 10 lbs already, although I don't know exactly, but he's really starting to get some fat on him.

He's not a paci baby, much to his father's dismay, but he's a great sleeper (at least he is during the day).   He sleeps through all kinds of running and fighting and playing all day long.  I keep joking that we need to have Micah and Jadon run through the house in the middle of the night to get him to sleep better.

For the most part, he's really a happy baby.  He really only cries when he's in the carseat.  This is the face he makes as soon as he's buckled in.

Yesterday, he cried most of the way home from Camp Akita.  That's really too bad since we have to drive 20 minutes just about anywhere we go.  Hopefully, he'll get a little more accustomed to that soon.

This is Zac's favorite place to sleep. (Sorry for the fuzzy picture, but that's what happens when the 7 year old has the camera)

I made a bunch of these slings before he was born and we both just love them.  It's a really great alternative since he hates the carseat so much.  And he's certainly easier to carry around than lugging that heavy seat everywhere.

The big kids just love having a baby brother.  They are all eager to help and are constantly asking to hold him.  Every once in a while, the ugly green monster rears its head, but not very often.  I'm sure the day will come, but we're all having a great time right now.  Hopefully that will last a long time. 

Camp Akita!!

One of the great things about homeschooling my kids is that I get to spend so much time with them.  But one of the hardest things for them is how much time they spend with me.  Don't get me wrong, they spend lots of time with friends and cousins, but sometimes they just need a fun day with other kids.  So that's what we did today. 


Camp Akita is just a little over 30 minutes away from us and they have opened up their camp to our homeschooling coop for free once a month.  Today was our first day out there and we had a blast!!  It was a little cold and wet, so we spent several hours out there at the lodge doing crafts and playing games.  Look what a great time we had!

Petra supplied a craft for all the kids to do together.  Even Micah enjoyed that and he doesn't usually like to stay in one place for too long. 

Jody organized games for the kids.  Relay races are always fun! 

This game was a big hit.  I can't remember what she called it but we used to call it "the blob"!

Who says you have to group kids together by age?  We had 15 kids ranging from one month to 13 years old.  While I don't think Isaac actually had any strong opinions, the rest of them seemed to have a great time together despite their age differences.  And how great is it to see the big kids playing with the little kids?