Sister wife...

 This world is a funny place. I just spent the past 24 hours with a person that I have only spent about 72 total hours with ever in the however many of hours I've actually been around. (Catch that?) All because years ago a sweet friend thought to introduce us. And then we read each other's blogs and then we became friends. 

And I'm so glad that we got over the "weird" of emailing a stranger and became friends. Real friends. Friends that get each other. Friends that celebrate each other. Friends that pray for each other. Friends that totally spaz out over the same ridiculous things. 

Jenn picked me up at the airport on Monday with a smile on her face and a THIRTEEN DAY  old baby in the back seat. Oh, and she had just closed on her new house the week before. And she still had time for this... 

Y'all. She's incredible. 

I got to swap stories, cry happy tears, hear about her happy and sad, scared and excited, nervous and thrilled over guacamole and margs and just be thankful that for a few short hours, the 1000s of miles that normally separate us have disappeared. AND, I got to snuggle with sweet baby Grace - I mean, can you even deal with this view?

We ran errands, went on well-checks, solved the world's problems and added to her Davey's to do list. I read stories, played games, solved homework and drank too much coffee before having to say goodbye. 

Jenn, you are the best long-distance sister wife around. I'm grateful for your heart, in awe of your ability to just seriously get it all done with a smile and convinced that we will be closer than a plane ride someday! 

Bringing home to work...

 One of my least favorite parts about adulting is bringing work home. BUT...one of my FAVORITE parts about working is bringing HOME with me. I love that my job has plenty of opportunities to bring me #wee3kings along and hang out with a crowd of college kids. 

I just hope that they soak up some of their goodness and turn out to be awesome college kids, too. And no, they aren't a distraction at all - I mean they fit plenty of girl time in during all the work. 

And then maybe sometimes they become a distraction.

Or Shera - I can't decide. 

Something tells me they love it when I bring home to work, too.

Futbol Kings...

Saturday was a big day in the King household - we had a double header season soccer opener. Two kids. Two games. ONE starting time. (Because obviously they would play at the same time). 

So we did what all parents of 3 kids do - split up. Ryan had to be at Radley's game since he's the coach and all, but he did drop Emersyn off and give her a few last minute pointers before warm up. She was mostly worried that she had on different shorts that the standard issue pair that wouldn't stay up no matter how tight we pulled the drawstring. #shortyproblems 

She managed to get over it and get her head in the game (must have been all of that nonstop HSM we watched this summer) and SHE.DID.AWESOME!

She played so well and just kept after it - hustling the entire game all while keeping that smile on her face. 

She also managed to keep her sass - please note her teammates in "ready position" and Emersyn casually waiting with hand on hip. 

She was excited to have a friend on her team - Gabby's big brother was on Radley's team last year and is again this year. So much for random selection! 

She even managed to score!

And insisted on throwing the ball in one play.

While we know you aren't supposed to keep count - her team ended up ahead at the end! #wekeepscore And she ended the game with a smile!

Meanwhile, this dude was rocking it way across the field! I ran back and forth between games to catch glimpse of him and got to see him score an AMAZING goal! 

It's so fun to have seen his skill continue to improve and his love for this game grow right along with it.

I missed most of his game but Ryan could hardly wait to tell me about his amazing header that lead to another goal for Rad. He was beaming and full of that fatherly pride that just lights up his whole face. What a joy to be married to someone that finds such value and love in the goodness of our kids. 

And by the team huddle, his assistant coach was back by his side and all was right again. 

Looking forward to this and all the soccer seasons to come!

Friday Favorites...

This is going to be short and sweet...who am I kidding, the only thing short about me is my vertical reach. But I shall try. It shouldn't surprise you that my favorites from this week revolve all around the kiddos. 

I love when I see something that I know will get the kids excited. I spotted these RIDICULOUS "Charolette's Web" spiders and had to snap some pics. They were HUUUUUGE.

My boss actually talked me into catching a grasshopper and throwing it into the web and I wasn't quick enough to get it in film because OH.MY.WORD. the reflexes. Radley was pumped and could not believe that I wasn't scared. I'm not sure why, but these spiders don't bother me. When I was younger, we had one show up outside the windows of my brothers' bedroom and adopted it as a pet. When she died we even buried her in the backyard. 

Car rides home are always a favorite. I'll give you one guess at who get's a nap at school and who does not. 

Seeing this girl get recognized for her sweet heart was definitely a favorite!

Did you catch our RAVE REVIEW of Clean R Cans this week on the Dish? You MUST go read all about it and enter the giveaway. Y'all. I put my children inside our OUTSIDE trashcan. That's how clean this sucker is. 

The College Hills Family is always a favorite. Love how much fun these kiddos have together and love that our school has special nights celebrating the families in this crazy dual language journey! What a blessing it has been!

And I'm gonna leave you with my two absolute favorites from the week -

Emmy thinking she's sneaking a selfie and not realizing it was on "video"

And Coach Taylor's PSA. 

A day to celebrate...

Do you remember Emersyn's super cute Garden Pool Party? She was so excited about that day and had so much fun gathering gift cards and passing out seeds to her friends. She just couldn't wait to drop everything off at Keep Brazos Beautiful! Fast forward a couple of months and I receive an email informing me that Emersyn has won an award for her contribution to KBB!

WHAT?!? 

We were so excited and insanely proud of our girl and couldn't wait to attend the annual KBB Awards Luncheon. I let her pick out her dress and shoes and picked her up from school in the middle of the day(!) to head up to the Hilton. We got there a bit earlier than expected so to kill time we walked around and she had to sit in every kind of chair she could find. "Oh, Mommy! This place is just AMAZING! We should totally move here." 

We made our way back to the banquet room for lunch where she was treated to a custom order of chicken tenders and fries while all the other guests had to settle for baked chicken and steamed veggies. (She also managed to talk the table out of their tomatoes on their salads.) She couldn't wait to dig into that cake and who could blame her.

She was so observant and did such a good job listening, eating with manners, asking great questions about the presentation and clapping for all the award winners. And then it was her turn... 

She could not stop smiling over that plaque - she was just so proud and did such a great job explaining why she wanted to make "our city pretty". 

"Mom, I can't wait to show Rad and Landry!"

While we didn't at all expect this recognition for Emersyn, I'm so glad that KBB does this. They gave nine awards in all that encourage everyone from HOAs to community members to kids to play a role in the upkeep and maintenance of our town. What encouragement to get involved even in the smallest ways and what an impact this had on Emersyn and her siblings to show how important it is to be engaged in your community. 

As we headed out she just had to make a wish at the fountain. I'm pretty sure it was that she really could move there - Ha!

And then she made the rounds at school to show her teachers and Mr. Hatfield her fun plaque. They were all so encouraging and celebrated her big! 

So proud of our Emersyn and her big heart! 

Homemade Laundry Detergent: The Update

I've had a few people ask me about the homemade laundry detergent we tried earlier in the summer and since we have hit the 3 month mark, I thought it was a perfect time to oblige. 

Bottom line is - we love it but it would be boring to just tell you that so here are the reasons why.

1. Price - y'all $30 for a year of detergent. Here is a comparison of day 1 and day 90(ish). That's incredible and we do A LOT of laundry. Especially in the summer because I can't stand wet towels and bathing suits to just sit around. For a family of 5, this stuff has gone the distance. I'm not quite sure if we will make the whole year, but this has definitely saved us money.

2. Cleaner washing machine - We have a front load washer and it constantly smelled. We would clean it, leave the doors open and wiped it down, but it always had this mildewish smell (gross, I know). But since we started using this - it's gone. We still leave the door open but the smell has vanished and that's a plus!

3. Less detergent - This coffee scoop holds 2 TBS which is the most we use for our loads of laundry. And the clothes are still clean and smell fresh. We've even cut down on the amount of softener we use because I put softener crystals in the mix.

4. Cleaner clothes - I really do feel like our clothes are cleaner. Our whites definitely look brighter than with regular detergent without adding bleach. 

I'm seriously a huge fan - so if you've been waiting to take the plunge I say go for it! Now, we just need to update this space...I'm thinking we take out the counter and make this the "control"station for the kiddos using the cabinets as a bench and cubbies. Who wants to come help with this space? Kim, I'm totally looking at you! 

Our Wild Weekend...

We had the best weekend - the kind that was a perfect combination of lazy and productive. I treated myself to a mani/pedi sans kids with the added bonus of Shelly meeting me there. And then I headed to Target (where I spent a record LOW $9.50) and HEB. Again, sans kids. I mean if that isn't vacation. I got home just in time for a picnic lunch on the trampoline. 

The afternoon was filled with naps and laundry and some FTA football watching before we got dressed and headed out for a double date with some of my favorite people in the world. Napa Flats is one of our favorite places not only because of the food and the wine ON TAP(!!!) but also because they know how to take care of kids. Who needs crayons when you can play with pizza dough. Seriously, I'm a little jealous.

The view isn't so bad either.

They loved sharing their evening with sweet Austyn and informed me that we should have a baby brother. Ha!

We ended our crazy Saturday with a quick power cooking session. Lasagna, stroganoff and crunchy ranch chicken tenders are ready to go!

And if you're wondering why Radley is absent from all our crazy fun - it's because he was having a ton of fun on his birthday camping trip with the Munsons!

They roasted marshmallows...

swung from vines...

conquered nature on hikes through the jungle...

and cooled off with ice pops. 

Seriously, how'd we get so lucky to do life with besties that love our kids like their own. 

A perfect practice...

Emmy had her first soccer practice this week which is conveniently located at the park by our house. I'd like to say that we walked there but since it's Texas and the heat factor seems to go up in late September we drove. 

And I don't know if it's the tall socks but she looks like a giant to me. (Maybe not compared to other average sized kids but she's definitely growing!) 

She did awesome! She listened, she waited her turn and she didn't try to boss one person around. 

I did hear her mention that she is her daddy's assistant coach and she also volunteered us for the first snack but that's fine with me. She loves doing the same thing that Radley is doing and I think we are going to have such a great time watching her play this season. 

  

They got their uniforms at the end of practice and we had already had a long talk with her about being happy with the color no matter what. Y'all. I didn't think that "no matter what" would mean camo - but she didn't care. She said "I can just wear a pink bow." Ha!  

They haven't come up with a name yet but I bet it will be something fierce - I mean look at those faces.