The Adventures of the Flannery Fun Team

What a day!  We crammed so much fun into one day I almost don't know where to start.  I'll try to do it justice for you-

You know that fall is here when Football starts! There is just something magical about a cool crisp night and high school football games. Tim was out of town but the kids and I got to go to a Davis Wolves football game on Friday night and it was amazing! Our favorite family in Oklahoma, the Jones Family, are diehard football fans. Now they don't like just any football they are CRAZY for their hometown team, the Davis-Wolves. You need to understand that Davis has a population of about 100 but on game nights in the fall their could easily be 5,000 people for a home game! Each of those 5,000 people also bring their air horns, cow bells and the loudest screaming voices you've ever heard. Its AWESOME!!! Football games were made for my loud, crazy boys-- they thought they had died and gone to heaven. They got right into the mix and we're cheering for the team and ringing the cow bells. Miss Caitlyn wasn't sure what to think, except that she had never been someplace so loud. Between watching the game my boys played their own game of football on the sidelines, wrestled with Hunter and tackled anyone who got to close.  It was a little boys dream night!

My boys may never play professional football but on Friday night they thought they had made the big leagues! I also just love the Jones's! They have the most amazing kids in the whole world. I hope that my boys will grow up to have the compassion, gift of encouragement, and servant heart that Hunter Jones has. He is an amazing boy who will be an incredible Godly man! He is a warrior!!!

Love,

Shawna

Can we just say, "We LOVE Missouri"!!! We went last weekend and we had so much fun! We were hosted by our most favorite people in the whole world, the Kilbournes!!! The barnhouse is amazing (no matter what you think Nat) and it is our favorite place to hang out! All of the cousins, including Carver, got to hang out and go to Jump Mania! I think that Nat and Tim and I had just as much fun as the kids! Then it was off to Silver Dollar City for fun with MiMi, PaPa and more cousins then back just in time for dinner with our other favorite family the Brawners! While the adults were upstairs Maddie took Cade downstairs and dressed him up like a princess/cheerleader the scary part was he didn't seem to mind. On Sunday we had a chance to go to Fellowhip Bible for church before we headed home, it was so much fun to see so many of our sweet friends. God is so good to us! Then we finished up with lunch with the Brawners, Kilbournes and Ulrichs! Caitlyn Grace was able to get a little snuggle time with her much loved Aunt Sarahbeth! It was a tremendous adventure and just reinforced the fact that we love and miss our family and friends in Missouri!

If we didn't have to have jobs we'd be back in Springfield in a heartbeat!

Love,

Shawna

Every once in a while I see glimpses that my sweet boys are going to be great friends. It makes my heart sing when I see their kindness to one another. Tim, caught this sweet moment the other day. They actually enjoyed sharing their popsicles with each other. I think that Coopie enjoyed it a little more than Cade. The picture of Caitlyn is just thrown in because we couldn't leave her out!

I think the whole world would be a better place if we all stopped and had a popsicle together!

Love,

Shawna

Do you remember when you were a kid and the nights of just playing outside until dark?  We had a great night like that yesterday.  Tim and the boys did yard work, Cade rode his big boy bike and we just hung out together.  It was so much fun!  These are the times that you just pray that the Lord writes on your heart so that you can remember it forever!  Of course after yard work comes the necessity of a shower which leads us to the picture of Cade's naked bunnies with his Daddy's shoes on.  I'm pretty sure that picture will come back to haunt him some day!

Having kids is a true adventure!  You know that as a parent you are going to have to intervene at times and you even anticipate some challenging moments but I've been struck recently with the hilarious things I have found myself saying lately.  Things that I never thought I would say.  For example:  "don't brush the dogs teeth with your toothbrush", "please don't suck on the toothpaste tube",  and "no you can not brush your teeth again (my kids are really into good oral hygiene)".  But today really took the cake!  As most of you know we have a wonderful Golden Retriever, Barley, who sheds a lot and I'm not known for my vacuuming abilities.  So today, after lunch, Cade and Cooper both got a sucker and after a few minutes I look into the living room to see what their doing and I see Coopie rubbing his sucker on the CARPET!  GROSS!  So I yell across the room at him, "Coopie please don't rub your sucker on the carpet!"  Too late!  The pictures tell the rest of the story.  Who would have ever guessed!

I have to brag on my sweet husband he did such a great job of painting and creating a wonderful pink wonderland for Miss Caitlyn. I gave him a little direction but he picked all of the paint colors himself and really got into the decorating. I think that having a little girl has really helped him to get in touch with his femine side! I have to admit he outdid himself this time. When he was done it was even better than I imagined! What an awesome Daddy!

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: When did Cade go from an infant to a big three year old? It must have been while I was sleeping. I just pray that the Lord keeps my heart and eyes awake to catch every precious moment with my children.