October Round-Up!

October tends to be a very busy month for us, and this year was no exception. Here is some of the things filling our days this month.

Brecklyn and Brooke began a beginning band class on Mondays in Tulsa. Brecklyn chose to play flute, while Brooke went with trombone. So far, it's been going really well, and the girls are loving it!

Much to our surprise, Brecklyn also decided to give basketball a try this year. She practices on Mondays and Thursdays in Tulsa. Her basketball practice begins not too long after band ends, so we just stay in Tulsa (and usually do some schoolwork) between practices. So far, she is catching on quickly to basketball and enjoying herself.

Brenson's basketball practices started at the end of last month. He practices Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays in Tulsa. He is playing with a new club this year (Oklahoma Flame), and so far it has been a great experience. Here's hoping we've finally found a place for him to stay and grow!

Brenson's Monday practices directly follow Brecklyn's practice at the same gym. Each practice is two hours long, so this makes a for long Monday for us. 

Momma and her practice buddies

Brenson has been trying to teach Brecklyn some basketball basics. For the most part, she responds well to him. I love seeing my kids teach each other!

In addition to basketball, all four kids were still running cross country throughout most of the month. The teens had four practices a week while the twins had three. I would always try to walk during the twins' practices and found it was a great time to enjoy the sunshine, clear my head, and get my steps in. 

The kids get pretty close with their teammates, and this month we learned that Kirk - a boy who has been their teammate for several years - has some dangerous tumors growing on his kidneys. When the team found out, they prayed for him together then got busy organizing a gift basket. Kirk made a special trip to practice one morning so the team could give him the basket.

Kirk with his goodies from his team

Four cross country practices and three basketball practices a week has turned Brenson into an eating machine. Another side effect has been that he often falls asleep in the car on the way to practice. Early mornings and last nights mean he's gotta squeeze that rest in where he can!

The teens began an in-person physical science lab class last month. It meets in the teacher's home every other Thursday of the month. I have been dropping them off for class, then leaving from there to take Brecklyn to basketball practice in Tulsa. Brooke stays with Grampy and G-Jo during this time, then Grampy and Brooke pick the teens up from lab. Bren has a bit of time to get ready for basketball practice before Chris gets home from his two day a week in-person job to take Bren to basketball practice. It's a lot of business, but it works out ok. The lab has been very beneficial and worth the effort. 

The twins are currently studying space science, which has some hands-on activities they've enjoyed. 

Anything messy is sure to be a hit!

At the beginning of the month, I had to take Brooke to the dentist to have two baby teeth extracted. I figured Brooke on laughing gas would be a trip, and I was not wrong!

Crazy eyes, haha!

Her poor mouth was swollen for a few hours.

However, she had very little pain after the numbing wore off, and the swelling went down quickly!

Because we didn't have enough going on this month, the girls and I decided to drive to Russ and Lisa's house one Friday afternoon to go with Lisa on Saturday to a band competition of Chloe's. It was also the weekend of a youth rally at their congregation, so Friday night the kids went to that. Then, Saturday morning we drove about two hours to Fayette, Missouri for the competition. It was super foggy that morning. 

However, the fog cleared up, and we had so much fun watching drum lines, marching bands, and color guard performances. Unfortunately, Chloe's band wasn't scheduled to march until 5:00pm, and things were running behind schedule. We had a five hour drive home, so I decided it would be best for us to leave before she marched. We're still thankful we went, though!

On our way home from Fayette, the tire light came on in the van. I put air in the tire, and we made it home with no problems. The following Tuesday, however, I was taking Bren to basketball practice in Jenks when the tire light came on in the car. This is not an unusual occurrence, so I just kept driving. Right as we approached the I-44/244 split in Tulsa, the tire blew out. Chris, my parents, and all the girls were on their way to Muskogee for a gospel meeting, so I called Tia. She, Ross, Sadie, and Caroline had been out to dinner (after Ross's grandmother's funeral that day), but they came immediately to rescue us from the side of the highway. After my crew got back from Muskogee that night, Chris and Dad drove to get the car. Chris changed the tire on the side of the highway and drove it home. The good news is that we now have four new tires on the car!

October is always a bit of a whirlwind month, but I can't think of what I would be willing to give up. As always, we are grateful for God's provisions, protection, and blessings!