Weekend Fun {Mucky Race, Framlingham Castle, Royal Apple Picking}

A couple weeks ago we had a jam-packed, fun-filled weekend!

It started out with the {Mucky Race}. Derek ran the 10k this time around. He came in 8th with a time of 1 hr 8min.

While he was off in the fields running his race the kids decided to have a little race of their own.

After the race, Derek got cleaned up and we went down the road to {Framlingham Castle}. This was our 2nd time to the castle. Last time we were here there was an event going on, which was really cool, but this time was way less crowded and we got to move slower and we all (especially the kids) enjoyed listening to the audio guide.

A lot of the castles will have dozens of chimneys. They did this to show (or make others think) that they were wealthy. This is one of those castles and each one is designed differently.

After we toured around the castle we went around to the back for a game of freeze tag.

It was a great day out with beautiful weather!

The next day we went to Sandringham Estate for some {Royal Apple Picking}.

I had to get her this shirt! So perfect! "though she be but little, she is FIERCE"

None of them were in the mood to have their picture taken. :(

Labor Day Weekend Fun

We started off our weekend by finally purchasing a National Trust membership and then heading 10 minutes down the road to Oxburgh Hall.

There was a box full of lawn games so we pulled a few out and played.

We also went on a scavenger hunt

Toured the hall -- and there were people in every room to explain the history to you. One of the most informative places we've been to! At the end the kids and Derek all squeezed into the Priests Hole.

And we walked around the gardens. We thought the fruit trees growing up along the walls were neat.

We then spent a day at LEGOLAND. It was an absolutely perfect day out. Great weather and we could all ride all of the rides! Allie was at the perfect height to where if she needed to ride alone she could, while Derek and I rode with Avery and Blake. Very fun day! Their favorite ride was the big rollercoaster and then their second favorite was the lego cars.

Here's Blake -- who is an excellent driver!

And here we have Granny and Fast & The Furious

The best kind of treasure....

 

Avery and I rode together on the log ride. We got soaked!

Derek took pictures of the pictures we could purchase.....but are too cheap to do so.

Many of the rides had lego stations to play at while waiting in line. Fab idea!!

We saved walking through Mini Land until the very end. It was so cool!! Even cooler that the kids knew so many of the landmarks! Of course Blake was blurting out, "We've been there!"

Many of the London sights.....London Eye, Big Ben, Parliament

 

Tower Bridge

 

Buckingham Palace

 

Brighton Pier, which we had just been to very recently so it was fresh in their mind.

Edinburgh Castle -- another place that was fresh in their mind.

 

Mont St. Michel, France

Louvre, France

Sacre Coeur, France

Brussels, Belgium

Italy

Football match

Avery also learned how to ride her bike!!!!

Back to School

I wanted to do something different this year. An old friend of ours had posted something on Facebook about a tradition they started to help get her kids excited for the school year. I thought it was a fantastic idea so I started planning something very similar. It will just be easier for me to copy and paste what I put on Facebook:

The girls are off to school tomorrow. We thought we'd start a new family tradition and held a special back-to-school dinner tonight. Over the past couple of weeks we've talked about possible themes or family mottos to use for the year. We had a hard time narrowing it down to just one, but in the end we all agreed on: "We Can Do Hard Things." Tonight we set goals for the year (individually and as a family). We talked about how each one of us is faced with trials and challenges .... but we can overcome those things. I saw a quote the other day that said, "One of the hardest decisions you'll ever face in life is choosing to walk away (from your fears, insecurities, challenges etc.) or to try harder." We will choose to try harder ..... because "[we] can do all things through Christ who strengthens [us]." (Philippians 4:13)

 

The first day of school for the girls was August 31st (which means they go until the middle of June).

Both girls had a great day and both are happy with their teachers and have great friends in their classes! Allie was most excited to have her best friend in her class. Avery was most excited to know that she can look out her classroom window and see her old teacher in her classroom. I think they will both have a great year.....their last at Feltwell Elementary (and the longest they've ever been in one school!)

Blake's first day of school was September 3rd.

He went back and forth between being excited for school and definitely NOT excited. All this week he was definitely not excited. He looks fine in the pictures but he was so nervous, did not want to go and was begging me to let him stay home. It was soooo hard to take him. He was crying and I just kept thinking that he doesn't really need to go, there is no need to put him through this if it's not something he wants to do. Derek thinks I baby him too much, which I do.....because he's my baby. And deep down I know that Blake needs some social interaction with kids his own age and, at the same time, I need some time on my own. It was hard to leave him as he was crying and again begging me not to go. I told him I would walk in with him and stay for a little bit. One of his teachers tried to get him to sit with her and put together a puzzle, she could tell he wasn't to keen on that so she suggested to play with the trains. He immediately shook his head yes and walked over to the trains with her. He kept looking back to make sure I was still there. He seemed content playing and she gave me the nod to go, so I left. I thought about him ALL day! I was hoping that he was having a great time. I was so happy to see him when I picked him up and even happier to see that he was happy! He was so excited to tell me all about his day and about his new best friend who's name he still doesn't know. He asks to go to school everyday! He is only going twice a week. I'm starting to think I might send him another day for 1/2 a day. (we get 15 free hours and are only using 12 of them right now) Some days he will ask why I didn't pick him up at lunch time, but I think that is just because that was when I would pick him up last year. Technically the kid is supposed to be at the big school going to Reception (British Kindergarten) but I couldn't fathom sending my barely turned 4 year old to all day everyday Kindergarten!!