October 2025

October was busy, but oh so fun! Highlights of the month: Hadley's crochet challenge, Shelby's new driving permit, soooo much marching band, painting Hadley's room, Homecoming, a visit from Grammy & Grampy, concerts, and of course Halloween.

Hadley & Derek's step-mom both share a love of handwork. Eileen was planning to participate in a month-long crochet a hat a day challenge in October & extended the invitation to Hadley. Then she generously supplied Hadley with lots of new yarn to get started. Hadley was thrilled to join in! She even sent a pom-pom making kit to Brady so he could participate by adding pom-poms to Hadley's hats. 

My parents randomly picked a week in October to visit, and it just so happened that alllll the things fell during this one week! It was so fun {and super helpful!} to have them here for such special occasions. They got to be chaperones for Hadley & Brady's field trip, attend a concert for both of the girls, and be here for Homecoming! We loved having them here!

Brady was eating breakfast one morning and looking at his map of the London tube. He got this map when we were in London almost 2 years ago now, and he still looks at it frequently! I texted Derek this picture after I took it and told him I think we need to go back to London soon. ;)

{they were all doing their nails together!}

{first pom-pom of the month!}

{it's kind of hard to tell with the lighting here, but this is Hadley's new bedroom wall color--sky blue!}

{Hadley volunteered to help Shelby prep for picture day!}

{Hadley assembled a new nightstand for our guest room all on her own!}

{temporary tattoos & matching Halloween jammies for the win!}

{Hadley's first YOSA concert was a success!}

Halloween 2025

This was our first Halloween where our kids didn't trick-or-treat together as a trio, and I'm still not quite over it, ha! But it was still a fun & memorable Halloween nonetheless! Shelby & Brady went as Sally & Jack from the Nightmare Before Christmas movie, and Hadley was Sleeping Beauty.

Derek dropped Shelby off to trick or treat with some friends, and Hadley had a friend from school come join her & Brady for dinner & trick-or-treating in our neighborhood.

But even though trick-or-treating looked a little different, this part of the night remained the same. This is the best view!

Shelby's First Homecoming 2025

Our first homecoming is officially in the books! A friend of Shelby's from marching band {who we later found out actually went to preschool with Shelby at Marvelously Made the first time we were stationed here at Lackland all those years ago!} asked her to go to homecoming with him. He surprised her with flowers & her favorite drink/candy the week beforehand at a band competition.

Their school's homecoming game was on a Thursday night. In Texas, the girls wear mums to school on the day of the game & to the game that night while the boys wear garters. We are learning alllll the things this year! This was a whole new world to us. Thankfully, Shelby had two senior friends who were so gracious to make mums for her.

{some of her section in the stands at the game}

{posing with her mums after the game}

{this was Shelby once she got home from the dance...still all smiles!}

We were fortunate enough to have my parents here on homecoming, so my dad took some pictures on his camera, too! I love the candid shots he got!