Fall

Fall was quickly approaching and along with it came lots and lots of things to keep us busy!  Fall is my absolute favorite time of year and I very much look forward to it not only because of the cooler weather but also because of all the traditions and fun activities that it brings.

Here are some of the things we enjoyed....

Over the summer we bought yearly membership passes to Six Flags so we made several trips there once the weather cooled off a little

Their FAVORITE roller coaster...They love to ride it over and over again

Deep in thought, contemplating their next ride!

Here are some pictures from my phone that sum up our lives and make me smile....

She's happier than a pig in mud when you give her bowl of leftover brownie batter.  She is most definitely without a doubt 100%  my child!  She and I may or may not actually fight over who gets it.

You know, just sitting on the edge of the driveway at 7:00 at night munching on a box of cereal while Mom and Dad catch up with the neighbors.  Totally normal for this one.

These two nearly lost their marbles when a Waffle House finally opened up in our town.  I am typically not a big fan of WH but it's their favorite and they talked me into coming along to this grand opening that they were so excited about.  

Hurricane Harvey devastated the coast of Texas and displaced many of our fellow Texans down in Houston. We felt so helpless as we watched the constant news coverage so we decided to do our part by helping out in a very small way.

Our neighborhood was accepting donations at the clubhouse to be sent to the victims of Harvey so Kyndall and I loaded up a cart at Wal-Mart with things we thought would be helpful. Towels, soap, toothbrushes, socks, t-shirts, blankets and food were among the things we grabbed up.

The boys got their fall haircuts and no longer looked like homeless mutts

Before we moved from Jackson I was asked to sit for a photo shoot with Lifeline Blood Center where I was a spokesperson for several years.  They ended up putting my photo in the waiting room where donors sit as they are giving blood.  The thought is that by displaying a face and a story of someone who was impacted by their donation, they will be more likely to continue their good deed.  I was so honored to be one of the recipients featured on this wall.  The photo went up in the fall and one of the directors sent me this picture. 

Our friends Glory and Caroline came up from Houston for an overnight visit and it was so good to spend time with them.  The girls have been friends since we first moved to Jackson when Kyndall was 2 years old but they haven't seen much of each other in a few years.  They picked up right where they left off and having them together again took me right back to those sweet days in Jackson.

We always enjoy getting together with the Coble family and we did so several times during the Fall

We saw the new My Little Pony movie with our friend Bree

We had lots of play dates with friends....

Ryann came over for a sleepover which was a real treat for Kyndall

We invited our friends to worship with us and they are now an active part of the church. We love having the Martinez family in our small group and we are so thankful that they feel welcomed and at home at FBC Forney.

Fall weather is perfect for back porch mani/pedis with your bestie

Fall weather is also perfect for taking evening walks around the neighborhood with your bestie

Kyndall got really into painting rocks so we started a rock hunting group in our neighborhood.  The idea is that you paint them, hide them for others to find and then they re-hide them and continue the cycle.  It's fun to see the joy it brings people when they find a beautiful rock while they're out and about in the neighborhood.

On evenings that our schedule allowed for it, we enjoyed taking walks around the neighborhood and admiring the beautiful Texas sunsets 

This is the view from the top of our neighborhood.  It never gets old!

Chalk painting is one of my new favorite hobbies so I was excited to finally find time to tackle one of our guest bedrooms and completely change the look of it.

This dresser was Matthew's when he was a kid

It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint and new hardware did for it!

Rainy days after school call for game time.  Kyndall is really good at checkers!

Our Friday night tradition has always been family pizza and movie night. On this particular evening we decided to show her one of our childhood favorites and much to our delight, she loved it!

I can't be the only one who takes random pictures of my kid while she's sleeping. She just looks so peaceful and angelic.

After school treats are a favorite of ours

Finding unexpected things like this on my phone always makes me smile

As soon as the Toys R Us Christmas wish book was delivered she promptly went through and circled all the things she wanted. 

In October I had my bi-annual check up with my transplant team at Vanderbilt in Nashville. "Grace" the liver got a glowing report from my team and everything seemed to finally be working as it should. I always look forward to my trips back to Nashville because my team of doctors and nurses there have become like family to me and it's always a sweet reunion each time I see them. I'll be going back in July for some routine scans and scopes but that's no big deal to me.

One evening after church we decided to check out Forney's newest restaurant for a quick and easy dinner. As we sat eating our food Kyndall kept a close eye on all the hustle and bustle that was going on in the new establishment and she paid particular attention to the young girl who had the job of sweeping the floors. After focusing on her for a while she leaned over to me and said "Mommy I feel like I should go help her. I WANT to help her!" I looked at Matthew with a puzzled expression and hesitantly said "well...ok...go ask her if you can help....I guess. But just don't bother her!" In my mind all I could think of was what a burden Kyndall would actually be to this poor girl who probably just wanted to get the job done as quickly as possible. Shame on me! Much to my surprise her face lit up as Kyndall kindly asked her if she could help. She not only said yes to the help but she also went and found a tiny boom that was just Kyndall's size. Together they walked all over the restaurant cleaning up behind the customers, both with huge smiles on their faces. I saw so many of the customers looking up from their meals and smiling at what they saw. Once again my 7 year old taught me an invaluable lesson in kindness and humility. It made her little servant's heart so happy to feel as though she had truly lightened this girl's burden and at the same time she unknowingly set a wonderful example for all those who witnessed it. If we could all take a lesson in this kind of selflessness our world would be a much better place! 

Kyndall's school allowed them to have a week long Fall break this year so my Mom, sister and my two nephews flew in from Florida for a visit. We packed in as much fun as we possibly could in a week's time!

I snapped this picture just before they got here of our dogs sitting and watching the front door almost in anticipation of their arrival. It seemed as though even they knew what chaos was about ensue! 

 Kyndall had her own fan club to watch her cheer on Saturday morning

Easton was just 7 weeks old when he took his first plane ride to Aunt Sissy's house in Texas!

I'd be lying if I said this didn't make me want another one!

The many faces of Wyatt

We did a little bit of early trick-or-treating at North Forney Trade Days

 Rock hunting in the neighbrohood

Sometimes they argue like brother and sister but other times they are SO sweet together!

I couldn't get enough of this little guy

Being 7 weeks old is purely exhausting!

The highlight of the week was taking the whole crew to Six Flags for the day

These two were the only ones tall enough and brave enough to ride Batman

I always said I wanted a carload of kiddos and during that week I definitely had one!

Another sweet moment between the cousins

We took the kids to the pumpkin patch at a local church and let them each choose a few pumpkins to decorate

Definitely the best picture of the entire day!

Proof that she's always loved crafting!

Our neighborhood also set up a pumpkin patch at the clubhouse so we took this opportunity to try and get some good pictures while we had all the kids together.  My sister had these cute shirts made for all of us!

These next shots just make me laugh because they are real life and completely unfiltered!

Best we could get for a group shot!

Why stop the torture there?  We decided to do another photo shoot so I could get some pictures of Kelly and her boys and my Mom and the grandkids that weren't fall themed.  Our neighborhood has the perfect spot for this down by the pond so off we went....

It was a great week and we were sad to see them go but so glad they were able to spend the week with us!

Just a few days after our company left I took off for Washington D.C. About six months prior my transplant team nominated me to represent Vanderbilt and the great state of Tennessee at the American Society of Transplantation's first annual national patient summit.  I was honored to be nominated and very humbled to actually be chosen. Over the course of two days I met with lawmakers who are as passionate as I am about improving the laws surrounding transplantation as well as making known the vast need for more donors. I also networked with other transplant recipients and donor families who were in attendance and I loved hearing about their experiences in the transplant world. It was amazing to look around the room at see 150 individuals whose lives have been impacted by transplantation and to realize what a miracle it truly is that each of us were healthy enough to be sitting in that room--All because we were given the gift of life. We heard from surgeons, doctors, pharmacists, psychologists and other experts in the field of transplantation and in doing so I gained an entirely new perspective on the whole process. There is so much work to be done and I came away even more committed to continuing to use the platform I've been given for the greater good. Never in a million years did I think I'd be interested or involved in politics on Capitol Hill but likewise never in a million years did I imagine my life would depend on a transplant and the laws surrounding it. It's amazing how your passions and interests change when you are directly affected by something.

There wasn't much time for sight seeing but I did catch a few things on my Uber ride from the airport to my hotel

The AST held our summit at the historic Mayflower Hotel which was by far the nicest hotel I've ever stepped foot in!

Spelled my name wrong...story of my life!

It was great hearing from our state representatives who are working so hard to improve the laws regarding organ donation

After our dinner reception I decided to set out (by myself) and explore the city.  I knew I was only about a mile from the White House so I set that as my destination.

My hotel at night

As I got closer to the White House I started seeing familiar sights...

And finally....!

Ready for day 2!

These girls sat at my table during the summit and we became instant friends and still keep in touch. From left to right....kidney donor, kidney recipient, liver recipient, pancreas/liver recipient

Each Fall our neighborhood hosts the "Devonshire Spooky Campout" which is a lot of fun! We really enjoyed it last year so we decided to participate again this time.

Matthew and Kyndall always stay the night but camping is not really my thing (shocker!) so I always hang around until everyone is ready for bed then I make the half mile drive back to my house where I climb in my warm soft bed and sleep soundly until the two of them return early the next morning!

They provide dinner and a movie, popcorn, a s'mores bar, crafts, games, everything you can think of to make it a fun and memorable night!

Another fun annual Fall tradition that our neighborhood does is "Boo'ing" one another. You simply leave a small treat on the doorstep of a neighbor and once you've been "Boo'd" you pass along the kindness to someone else. It was fun coming home from church one evening and finding this on our porch.

With the cooler temps came wardrobe changes! We were finally able to bust out our pea coats for church in late October.

One of our favorite things to do each year is to pack a Christmas shoebox for Samaritan's Purse. We've been doing this with Kyndall since she was a toddler and now that she's old enough to really understand what it's all about we enjoy it even more. It's a great teachable moment as she realizes how truly blessed we are to have all the things we need and so much more. This year we got a head start on our box and as usual Kyndall had a lot of fun filling it up.

I always look forward to our yearly Fall family pictures. I don't care how much my family hates it I will always make sure we have professional photos taken at least once a year because Kyndall is growing and changing so quickly. Our neighborhood is the perfect setting for pictures so just like last year we chose to take them right here close to home.

Here are a few of my favorites.....

A little flashback to last year's photo session--Apparently we like this pose!

And this one!

I didn't realize how much she had changed until I saw this side by side comparison picture. She looks much less like a little girl and more like a young lady. I'm not sure how I feel about that!

Soon it was the end of October which meant Halloween was upon us. We met up with some friends for a trunk-or-treat at the high school a few days before Halloween.

Our neighborhood also hosted a Trail of Treats....

Mrs. Robin is our neighborhood's lifestyle director and shes' the one who puts on all the amazing events we get to enjoy. We LOVE her!

Kyndall (aka Marshall the fire dog) was excited to see the Forney fire department at the event

The day of Halloween I accompanied Kyndall's first grade class on a field trip to Yesterland Farms in Canton, Texas.

That's my kid in the very front of the roller coaster with her hands in the air...

That evening we set out for trick-or-treating around the neighborhood

We met up with Ashlyn who lives across the street and together these two visited nearly every house on our side of the neighborhood!

Kyndall's haul from the evening

First grade pictures arrived and once again I couldn't help but notice how much she has changed in just a year's time...

November brought a much welcomed break from the busy-ness we had in October and things were pretty low key until the week of Thanksgiving. Our school district gives the kids the whole week of Thanksgiving off so Kyndall and I enjoyed some special time together before we headed home for the holiday. I planned a special day for the two of us starting with a trip to the donut shop for breakfast....

Then I surprised her with something she had never done before--A trip to Painting with a Twist!

On Wednesday we flew from Dallas to Tallahassee to spend Thanksgiving with our family

I failed to take any pictures on Thanksgiving Day but we had a wonderful time at my Grandmother's house in Two Egg just as we have every year for as long as I can remember. There are about 22 of us total who gather around the table each year and I can't imagine ever celebrating Thanksgiving any other way.

I did snap this one picture of Kyndall playing on the swing that was given to me and my younger cousins nearly 30 years ago as a Christmas gift. I love that it's still around for the younger generation to enjoy. So many special memories from my childhood were made on this old thing.

The day after Thanksgiving at my in-laws' house is always "put up the Christmas tree" day. 

No crazy middle of the night shopping trips for this crew on "Black Friday"...We enjoy being lazy and spending time with the family.

We did venture out later on Friday evening to see a movie

Saturday we roamed around downtown Thomasville which is always fun

On Saturday night my parents joined us at my in-laws' house for a little early birthday celebration. Since my birthday is the week after Thanksgiving, my family always celebrates me while we're home for Thanksgiving. Kyndall always picks the theme for the party which ironically is always whatever theme she's currently into. I've had a My Little Pony party, A Secret Life of Pets party and this year it was of course a Paw Patrol party.

She had been decorating the entire afternoon and was SO excited for me to see it all

Kyndall bought me these earrings with her own money and I LOVE them!

We also took family Christmas card photos that day for both sides of the family

I adore this next series of pictures! I just let them do their thing and started snapping and I think I truly captured the essence their relationship on film.

Sunday morning we had an EARLY flight from Tallahassee back to Dallas. As always we were sad to leave but thankful for the opportunity to go home for a few days.

At the end of November we celebrated my first "baby's" ELEVENTH birthday! My sweet Cameron has been by my side since Matthew and I were dating. Matthew was living in Fort Myers at the time and one weekend in February while I was down visiting I decided on a whim that I wanted a dog. We drove over to Cape Coral and I bought Cam from a breeder when he was only 12 weeks old. He was the smallest one in the liter and that's why I chose him out of all his other malti-poo brothers and sisters. I was still living with my parents at the time and I'll never forget calling them and telling them I was bringing a dog home with me. They were not happy at all because we had never had an inside pet, but before long Cam became like part of the family and they fell in love with him too.

Cam is the most faithful and loving dog and is literally always by my side. Where I go, Cameron goes too. When I was going through all of my Crohn's sickness he was so concerned about me that he would sit by the toilet and watch me throw up day after day then he'd curl up and lay right by my side as I made my bed on the bathroom floor. He's seen me through some very dark days, that's for sure. If I'm in the shower he's sitting right outside of it on the bathroom rug. If I'm laying in the bed with Kyndall, he's underneath the bed waiting for me. If I go to the mailbox he sits by the front door waiting for me to come back in. He sleeps in the bed with us and his favorite place to curl up is right behind my knees. He is smart and has memorized my daily routine. When I start blow drying my hair he usually disappears to his crate because he knows I'm almost done getting ready and it will be time for him to go to his bed soon. He is a fierce protector despite being barely 5 pounds and barks at every little noise, especially when Matthew isn't home. He loves pineapple, cheese and honey nut cheerios. He hates the vacuum but loves going for car rides. He tolerates Matthew and Kyndall but he truly loves me and I feel the same about him. It may sound silly but I can't imagine my life without my sweet Cam. Over the past 11 years he's seen our family through a LOT of changes including an engagement, a marriage, a move from Tallahassee to Fort Myers, a move from Fort Myers to Charleston, the introduction of his "brother" Huckabee in 2009, a pregnancy, the introduction of his "sister" Kyndall in 2010, a move from Charleston to Jackson TN, lots of sickness and two major surgeries, and a move from Jackson to Dallas. He has brought so much joy to our family and I just hope we have him for many more years to come.

We didn't throw him a party this year but I did toss him a little extra shredded cheese while I was cooking dinner! Ha!

Celebrating his very first birthday in 2007

Ten years and a lot of love later....Happy 11th, Cameron Kirkland Hughes!

And that was our Fall! Whew!