Fall is in the air!

Well, looks like my 'August in a Nutshell' theme might be the norm these days. Here is September in a nutshell! I don't seem to have much time for blog writing, facebooking, picture taking (I know, can you believe it) and all those extra curricular internet things with working more and more everyday and trying to get through the amazing book I'm reading, The Help. Any spare chance I get, my nose is in that book! I'm almost done, it's only been a little over a week, and I'm already dreading not having the book to delve into. On some days, you just need a good book to get lost in. I forgot how that felt until lately.

So our September has been fairly active. We are in the middle of a great tee ball season. Our team is 2-2. Brayden is playing the circle again and he and Cooper at first base, have a pretty good thing going. Brayden made 5 outs the other night! I was so happy for him. He also has been hitting super awesome, too. Almost to the fence. I feel a homer coming on next season! It seems like all is coming together and he is really enjoying the game and loving every second of it. He's always loved playing, but now he truly understands the game which puts his enjoyment on a whole other level. He loves when I can get to the field to watch him and is glad that Mee Mee has been coming to a few of his games. A surprise visit from Grammy and John was made last night at the game. We appreciate the support Brayden is getting from the grandparents. It's so important for him at this age.

Hadley turned 8 months in September. She is thriving and full of life! She is just about crawling all over the place. Slowly, right now knee by knee, but I know in the next few days she'll be off and that'll be it for me! She will no longer be a non-mobile child, changing everything all over again! We'll be on to the next stage. She's having fun learning to "play" with her toys and with the boys. She is pulling up in her crib, so instead of the smile when I get to her bed while she is laying down, she is now bright eyed and grinning ear to ear standing up when I open the door! She is also starting to babble a bit. Daddy is trying to get her first word to be Dada of course, but I am also secretly working on Mama when we have our alone time. Hee hee. We'll see which pops out first. I love her to pieces and she amazes me every day of this life!

School is going great for both boys. Hudson had a bit of a hard time at the beginning with listening and sitting at his seat for long periods of time. He has gotten smiley faces everyday since the first week so I think he is catching on. With him being the youngest in the class where as Brayden was the oldest I have to remind myself not to compare. Russell and I didn't know what to do with the frowny face he brought home one day a few weeks ago. With Brayden, he has never brought home a bad mark all his life so we were dumbfounded as to what to do with Huddy...punish, let it go, etc. We are learning...hey, even though we have 3 children in no way makes us experts at anything! We are humbly learning ALL THE TIME! Mee mee and Pop went to his preschool for a Grandparents Day picnic a few weeks ago. They had a picnic lunch with Hudson and did a cute craft. I think both the grandparents and Hudson enjoyed it. We are joyful that even though Hudson is the youngest in his class, he is doing well keeping up with some of the older kids on both a social and educational level. He is doing great tracing his letters, when at the beginning of the year he was just scribbling all over the paper. He is a sweet little boy and I could just eat up that sweet face of his. The cutest thing I've ever seen.

Brayden is loving Buford. He's come home with 6 kindness coins so far. Using good manners and helping his teacher and friends mostly. He just hopped up to the second reading level and is on his 3rd out of 6 sets of site words. Homecoming is this week and they do it up big at Buford. He's having lots of fun and we love the environment he is in on a daily basis. It's so positive and uplifting and supportive in every way. They love their students and their community and we are thrilled about that!

Jill's baby shower at the end of August went off without a hitch! I hosted 28 ladies for a sit-down brunch with Jill's friend, Jen, and it was just lovely. I had so much fun planning it and I couldn't have done it for a more grateful friend. I'm really loving the party planning stuff these days. It's becoming quite the hobby. Who knows, might make it a full fledged business one of these days!

September is definitely the Dunn birthday month! Miss Madeline turned ONE! I cannot believe how fast the time has gone by. I remember it like it was yesterday when Elizabeth told me she was pregnant. Madeline is so adorable and such a sweet little girl. She must take after that mom of hers! Another Dunn family member turned 6. Peyton! Just like Madeline, I cannot believe Peyton is 6! I've known him since he was 3 and it's been a joy seeing him grow up. Brayden and Peyton, even though they don't get to see each other daily, are still the best of buddies. They love rocking out together just like when they were 3! It cracks me up! Wes also had a birthday. Poor guy gets a little jipped for all the kiddos' celebrations, but we still noticed and embraced his birthday, as well! We welcomed Harlow Cassidy Balmes to the world on Sept. 11th. She was 10 days early and nothing was stopping that baby girl from coming into the world on 9-11. She is a gorgeous, sweet chunk of love, with a head full of dark hair. Looks just like her beautiful mama. Also, a Happy Birthday to my cousin Aimee and to Becky. They both had birthday's last week. I think that sums up our birthday's. If I missed someone, forgive me...can't remember everything and do you really expect me to?

Labor Day weekend we spent up at the lake house. Aunt Connie (Bob's sister) and Uncle Bob from PA were in town. It was nice to see them and spend some time together. We don't get to do that too often.

We've been spending a lot of time with our neighbors this month. Lots of cookouts and get togethers in backyards. We have the best times when it's just the spur of the moment gatherings like that. Wendsor and Chris treated us to the Braves game a few weeks ago for Russell's graduation gift. Mom watched the babies for us and we enjoyed the nice night.

We went to Suwanne Day last weekend. It was fun. The boys always enjoy it every year and now I get to shop at those little girly tents with all the clothes and hair bows, etc...it's in sane all this girl stuff that they have out there. I like it alright, but some of the stuff is overboard. I just can't see buying an outfit that the kid is only going to wear once or twice besides for Christmas and Easter, birthday's or baptisms. Before I spend my moohlah, I have to plan out how many times I think Hadley may wear it. If it isn't over 4, then we don't even go there. It's just ridiculous some of it! That's my rant for the day! Hee hee!

Hudson and I have been enjoying our Monday and Friday play dates. Alisha and Ty Ty, Lisa and IV, Rhonda and Eli. All fun dates and nice to see the boys growing up so big! Brayden has been invited over to some buddies houses lately. He and Ethan had been having withdrawals from each other so he went and played at their house the other weekend. He loves his Ethan time. This past Sunday, Cooper Young invited him over for a play date. He played all afternoon at their house. Cooper goes to Buford, too and they play ball together so he and Brayden have become pretty close. It's so fun seeing him form relationships that will probably last for a long time to come throughout his school days. I never was able to have those because I moved so often when I was young. It's something I really want for my children. These are the days!

Russell and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary this past weekend. We got a night out thanks to Kellen's mom and brother who held down the fort for us. We went nostalgic and decided to do Houston's. It used to be our absolute favorite place to go back in early 2000's (early 2000's, what? Seems like yesterday) and it had been a while since we visited Houston's. The evening was beautiful, just like it was on the eve that we got married. It never fails, every year our wedding weekend is always gorgeous~the first weekend of Autumn. Gosh, we sure picked a good one. Dinner was good, but not as good as we remembered. I have to say Houston's food and clientele has gone down a bit. We still enjoyed ourselves, but probably won't be going back there for a while. We had dessert at Aqua Terra-yummy as usually! On our anniversary, we always go through the past years and reminisce. Russell always counts the big things...7 years, 3 kiddos, 3 houses, 5 cars (for me)...wow! Most people don't go through that in a lifetime, but we couldn't and wouldn't trade our life for the world. The last thing I ever expected was to be adding another child to the list this year. Wowzers! God is good.

I got to see Elizabeth and Mike this morning. They came in town for her mother's birthday-oops, there's one I forgot. Happy Birthday Elena (not that she'll ever see that, but oh well)! I haven't seen Eliz since her wedding over a year ago and this was their first time meeting Miss Hadley. They are doing so well and I'm so happy for them. Lots of big things coming up for them in the next 2 years! I really miss my friend and just miss my friends in general-old and new. I feel sometimes like I have no one I can really "let it all out" to without being judged and that's hard. Russell is my bestest friend, but sometimes a girl needs a girlfriend. Don't get me wrong. I surround myself with a great group of women, but there's nothing like a long time friend who knows more about you than your own self. I don't really have any of those that I talk to regularly anymore and it's a sad thing to think about.

Well, enough of the pitty friendship stories. Let's get on with it. I have a blessed life and feel ridiculous even complaining these days.

We have some more fun fall stuff planned for the end of September...date night (yes, again, can you believe it?), pumpkin patches, and another big birthday month for October! Lots of fall babies and one big 3-0 coming up that we are happy to celebrate!

Happy Fall Y'all!

P.S. I've had some complaints on where pictures have gone. I found out my pixels are too big from my new camera and that is why they won't upload right. I'm working on it. I'll post a blog just with pictures soon. I so behind and I hate it!