{First trail ride in the new Jeep}

Back in November when we camped in East Texas {Palestine/Rusk area} we took the Jeep on a few trail rides. It was our first time to actually take it off-road and we had a blast! The trails were nothing too strenuous and were marked trails. But, nonetheless we had an amazing time. This was also before we lifted the Jeep and put bigger tires on it. We are chomping at the bit to hit some more trails now that the upgrades have been done!!

{5 Things Bringing me Joy // vol. 5}

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

- Romans 12:12 (NIV)

It's time for one of my favorite link-ups...Five Things Bringing Me Joy Right Now! We absolutely loved reading all of the posts last month and sharing in the simple joys of life with you. Life can get so busy yet mundane and it's always good to find the joy in the day to day. We all have something bringing us joy, right? We would love for you to join us in sharing your joy.

{A Jeepin' Good Christmas}

We bought this red Jeep at just the right time! It has been a blast decorating it with all the Christmas things! Since our Polar Express trip we have been driving around with the reindeer antlers {see shadow above} and Rudolph nose. I love how happy it makes little kids every where we go. They smile and point and yell "there's Rudolph". Especially at Mason's school! We also have light up Christmas lights hanging from the rear-view mirror and tinsel around the steps and antenna! Oh, and a light-up Christmas wreath on the rear spare tire! So festive, I tell you. And my little Christmas loving heart couldn't be more full. Anyhow, just wanted to share some pictures of the Jeepin' Good Christmas season we've had!

{Making Christmas magical with PNP // Portable North Pole}

This post is sponsored by PNP. All opinions are 100% my own.

If you know me at all or have read my blog for any amount of time then you probably already know this, but I absolutely love Christmas time and I am all about making it as magical as can be for Mason. I've shared on the blog before 25 Ways to Keep the Magic in Christmas and one of my favorite activities on that list is making a personalized video message using the Portable North Pole console. Being a kid at Christmas is spectacular and amazing, but watching the magic of Christmas through Mason's eyes is a million times better! Oh how I love being a Mama!!

{Camping in the fall // Rusk & Palestine TX}

If you've read my blog for any amount of time you'd know that we are campers! We love to visit new places and camp while doing so. I love camping any time of the year, but especially in the fall. There is just something about the cooler weather that makes it so much more enjoyable. You're probably wondering why I am talking about fall when it's in the dead of winter for most. Well, we live in Texas and our weather is pretty bipolar. We are still having summer like days as well as fall like days around here. We've only had a couple of days that felt like winter so far. But for the most part, it's still fall here in Texas.

{Little Letters // vol. 12}

Time for the Little Letters link-up with Kristin at Taz and Belly!!  I am a little {okay, a lot} late in posting this, but we've been so busy lately. But, I didn't want to miss a month, so better late than never. Right?? This is one of my favorite monthly link-ups that I always look forward to. And actually, every month I love this link-up a little more. To read my past Little Letters click H E R E. It feels so good to get these random little thoughts out of my mind each month! Here are my letters for this month...

{Polar Express 2017}

Way back before Thanksgiving we rode on the Polar Express train ride in Palestine, TX! I mentioned it briefly in a 2017 Winter Bucket list post, here, but wanted to share more pictures from the weekend. We always get our tickets to Polar Express for November because our December is way too crazy! And, I love that it introduces us to the Christmas season a little earlier than normal!

{Our Family's Christmas Traditions}

In my recent Five Things Bringing me Joy right now post I mentioned that traditions are my jam and in doing so I realized that I haven't shared our family's Christmas traditions since 2013. We've changed a bit and added so many more traditions since then, so it was time to update that list. Here are our family's current Christmas traditions...

{2017 Winter Bucket list // Update #1 // Parade, Tree farm, Polar Express, Grinch, Santa}

It's barely December and we've already completed 53% of our 2017 Winter Bucket List! We can't help it. We love the holidays something fierce around here. That gives us the whole month of December to complete the other 47% of our list. I have no doubts that we'll finish this fun winter list, plus some. Here is what we have crossed off our 2017 Winter Bucket List so far...

But bear with me...this is going to be a long post. We've covered a lot of Christmas ground lately.

{TBB Asks // Holiday Themed Q&A}

I'm a little late on getting this posted, but better late than never right?? At least that is what I am going with. I love everything Christmas-y so I wasn't passing this one up. I also love to read about how other people celebrate the holidays!! Here are my Holiday themed answers...

{Favorite Christmas posts // A Round-up}

The Christmas season is my absolute favorite time of year! And it's also my favorite time of the year when it comes to blogging. There is so much magic and joy to be shared! Today I wanted to do a round-up of some of my favorite Christmas posts.

{Adventuring through December // Winter Bucketlist}

I recently shared our 2017 Winter Bucketlist, but wanted to share a more generalized Winter Bucketlist. A fun way to adventure through the month of December! These activities can be done almost anywhere.

What's on your list this season?

Meet the Hosts:

Beth at Our Pretty Little Girls | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram
Crystal at Hall Around Texas | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram 

Jessica at Sweet Little Ones | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram
Stefanie at Lexie Loo, Lily, Liam, & Dylan Too | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Stephanie at Wife Mommy Me | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Becky at BYBMG | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram
Lindsay at Lindsay's Sweet World | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram
Sarah at Sarah E. Frazer | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Justine at Full Hands, Full Heart
Christina at Waltzing In Beauty | Pinterest | Instagram
Meghan at The Adventure Starts Here | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Tina at Go Big or Go Home | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Whitney at Polka-Dotty Place | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

An InLinkz Link-up

{5 Things Bringing me Joy // vol. 4}

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

- Romans 12:12 (NIV)

It's time for one of my favorite link-ups...Five Things Bringing Me Joy Right Now! We absolutely loved reading all of the posts last month and sharing in the simple joys of life with you. Life can get so busy yet mundane and it's always good to find the joy in the day to day. We all have something bringing us joy, right? We would love for you to join us in sharing your joy.

{Happy Thanksgiving}

From our family to yours! I hope you have an amazing day filled with your favorite foods and with the ones you love most!!

{Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt}

I'm not sure how your Thanksgivings go, but ours is usually filled with adults watching the Dallas Cowboy game or adults playing cards. I wanted to create an activity for Mason {and the other kids} to do. So, I made a Thanksgiving scavenger hunt and wanted to share it here in case you needed a fun little activity as well. Enjoy and have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

{2017 Winter Bucketlist}

With our recent trip to the Polar Express and Grinch's Lair I am thinking of hardly anything but Christmas. It's hard not to. Christmas time truly is the best time! All of the togetherness, festivities, lights, traditions, church, cheer, etc. just makes my heart so full and happy. I really wish that Christmas time lasted longer and if it were up to me I'd leave the Christmas tree up year round. There is something so special and magical about the glow of a Christmas tree. I can't wait to make memories with my sweet family this season. Today I am sharing with you our 2017 Winter {and Christmas} Bucketlist. I am sure we will fit in many more adventures... and of course there is all of those little things like Christmas crafting, trimmin' the tree, Elf on the Shelf Shenanigans, building a gingerbread house, making reindeer food, watching the reindeer cam, having a Christmas movie night, etc. Anyhow, here is our 2017 Winter Bucketlist...

{2017 Fall Bucketlist // Wrap-up}

Oh fall, how I love you so! We had so much fun adventuring through the season. While we didn't finish everything on our 2017 fall bucketlist, I feel like we put a pretty great dent in it. Here's a final look at our list and what we did/didn't accomplish.

{Five on Friday // DIY Pajamas, Shirts, Ornaments, Polar Express & Grinch, Thanksgiving at Mason's school, Jeep}

Happy finally Friday! It seems like the week before a holiday always drags out! Mason is out all next week for Thanksgiving and I couldn't be more excited! I have to work, but I still get to spend a lot of time with him. He really needs this break from school. He's getting burned out and bored. So I pray this break is refreshing for him and that he goes back ready to learn. Anyhow, here's a little five on Friday...

{Shadow Creek Pumpkin Farm // 2017 Fall Bucketlist Update}

I just realized that I briefly mentioned Shadow Creek Pumpkin Farm in one of my 2017 Bucket List Update posts, but I never posted the rest of the pictures. Mason and I visited the farm on a Saturday while Nate was in a fishing tournament. Shadow Creek is a brand new pumpkin patch that opened in the next town over. I knew from the first time I started seeing advertisements about the farm that I wanted to go and support them. The entire time they were open they were supporting one organization or another. Their first year open and they were giving away much of their proceeds! Anyhow, Mason and I had such an amazing time. We spent over 3.5 hours at the farm. It was so pretty and so relaxing.

{Mainstay Farm // 2017 Fall Bucketlist Update}

Another item we checked off our 2017 Fall Bucketlist was visiting Mainstay Farm. It's one of our favorite places to visit in the fall {pumpkin days} and winter {Christmas trees}! Mainstay Farm is a huge farm about 45 minutes from us that never disappoints. Mason looks forward to it each year. We had planned on going Saturday, but with the new Jeep we had too many errands to run and didn't make it. So, we went on a Sunday. We were there when the gates opened and the line was already incredibly long! But, once we got in the gates it didn't feel crowded at all. The place is so big and there are so many things to do that it's hard to feel crowded. We had such a good time!

{Little Letters // vol. 11}

Time for the Little Letters link-up with Kristin at Taz and Belly!!  This is one of my favorite monthly link-ups that I always look forward to. And actually, every month I love this link-up a little more. To read my past Little Letters click H E R E. It feels so good to get these random little thoughts out of my mind each month! Here are my letters for this month...

{HALLOWEEN HAPPENINGS AT MITCHELL RV RESORT // 2017}

If you've been around this blog for a minute you know that we are a big time camping family. We love to camp, but especially in the fall. We used to camp at Jellystone Park, but after our last F I A S C O we will not be going back there again. We are happy to report that we have found a new place to camp for Halloween happenings. It's a place about an hour and 45 minutes from home in Perrin, TX called Mitchell Resort. We are so happy to have checked this off of our 2017 Fall Bucketlist...

{Hallow's Past}

It's so hard to believe that we are celebrating our 8th Halloween with Mason! It's been so much fun since he really gets into Halloween. Although, I really miss the days of being able to pick out his costume. Now, it's pretty much 99.9% all his choice {as long as it's acceptable, of course}. One of these years I will talk them both into a family costume...you know...before it's too weird. Here's a look at the Hallow's Past...

{5 things bringing me joy // vol. 3}

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

- Romans 12:12 (NIV)

It's time for one of my favorite link-ups...Five Things Bringing Me Joy Right Now! We absolutely loved reading all of the posts last month and sharing in the simple joys of life with you. Life can get so busy yet mundane and it's always good to find the joy in the day to day. We all have something bringing us joy, right? We would love for you to join us in sharing your joy.

{Lexi // An Update // 6 months}

It's been a while since I've talked about our sweet girl on the blog! Our Lexi girl turned 6 months on 10/9/2017 and is growing so fast. And as she grows we grow more and more in love with her. She has been the best addition to our family and we can't get enough of her.

{Five on Friday // New hair, Rae Dunn, Farmluck, fall sunrises, a link-up}

It has been forever since I have joined in for a Five on Friday! But, I have so much randomness to share so a Five on Friday it is. It's that busy time of the year where we have done so many fun things and I want to share them all, but have no time to do it. Little by little, I am getting there. I seem to share more on Instagram these days, so be sure to follow me there. Here's a bit of randomness for this beautiful Friday!

{Pumpkin Patch, Hayride, Cornmaze, Hocus Pocus // 2017 Fall Bucketlist Update}

Even though the weather has been anything but than fall-like, we are having a complete blast checking things off our 2017 fall bucketlist. We're not letting the 90 degree weather put a damper on our fall festivity happenings. Here's what we have completed so far.

{Fall Photo Challenge // #14daysoffall2017}

Back on October 1st I joined my sweet friends Beth and Stephanie for a fall themed photo challenge on Instagram! Fall and photos are two of my favorite things, so it was a no-brainer that I would participate. I had so much fun photographing fall themed things and now I am wishing this continued throughout the month! Fall photos are the best. Here are the 14 photos I captured for #14daysoffall2017...

{This Past Weekend // Wedding, Baby Shower, State Fair}

What a beautiful weekend we had! This one surely filled up my love tank and brought so much joy to my heart. It was filled with family, friends and fall activities...the perfect trifecta! I didn't take many pictures, but it's okay because those memories will live in my heart for a long time. Here's how this past weekend went...

{Little Letters // vol. 10}

Time for the Little Letters link-up with Kristin at Taz and Belly!!  This is one of my favorite monthly link-ups that I always look forward to. And actually, every month I love this link-up a little more. To read my past Little Letters click H E R E. It feels so good to get these random little thoughts out of my mind each month! Here are my letters for this month...

{Costumes // 2017 Fall Bucketlist Update}

The month of October is exciting stuff for my sweet Mason. Because October means Halloween costumes are out and that makes his little heart so happy! We've already added four new costumes to Mason's collection this year. He usually comes home from school and changes straight into a costume for the evening. I love it! Especially when he obliges to my picture taking obsession! Here's a look at the costumes we have acquired so far.

{Fall Crafts // 2017 Fall Bucketlist Update}

One of our favorite things to do in the fall is craft. Mason and I like to do these activities and crafts together after school in the afternoons. We have so much fun sitting on the porch chatting and crafting away. Mason's not much of a crafter any other time...he just loves Halloween and Fall like his mama. I have found so many fun Halloween crafts in the dollar section at Target over the years.

{What We're Reading}

It's October so that means we have all of our Halloween books out and are reading them on repeat! Last year I shared a ton of Halloween books that we have on our bookshelf. We are still reading those as well as a couple of new ones. I am still looking for a few more to add to our shelf, so if you have any suggestions send them my way. Below is a look at our new books.

{October!! // A Fall Bucketlist Update}

I just can't seem to get it together when it comes to this blog! We are thick in a season of busy and finding the extra time for blogging just isn't happening lately. I started finding little bits of time and motivation last week and was eager to get blogs drafted and then I had to go and get sick. Like super sick and I felt like doing absolutely nothing for over a week. So, here I am trying to find that motivation I had last week. I feel like I have so much to catch up on here. We have been busy checking things off our 2017 Fall Bucketlist and today I will share a few of those.

{TBB Asks // Fall}

Joining The Blended Blog today for a fun fall themed Q&A. If you know me, then you know I love all things fall related. Here are my answers.

{General Fall Bucketlist // 50 fall activities}

Last Thursday I shared our personal 2017 Fall Bucketlist and today I wanted to share a more general fall bucketlist for anyone. Here are 50 fall related things to add to your list.

{Five things bringing me Joy // vol. 2}

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

- Romans 12:12 (NIV)

It's time for one of my favorite link-ups...Five Things Bringing Me Joy Right Now! We absolutely loved reading all of the posts last month and sharing in the simple joys of life with you. Life can get so busy yet mundane and it's always good to find the joy in the day to day. We all have something bringing us joy, right? We would love for you to join us in sharing your joy.

{Fall Bucketlist // 2017}

Let's be honest, it's been fall in my home for a couple of weeks now, but with the official first day of fall being this Friday I wanted to share our 2017 Fall Bucketlist. Compiling and completing a fall bucketlist has always been my favorite. And, it's the one thing I have been consistent with on the blog. All of the fall festivities are my favorite and so good for my soul! Here's a look at our Fall Bucketlist for 2017...

{Scripture // In the Waiting // Vol. 2}

Take courage my heart

Stay steadfast my soul

He's in the waiting

He's in the waiting

Hold on to your hope

As your triumph unfolds

He's never failing

He's never failing

- Take Courage, Bethel

Last year I shared some scripture that I was clinging to during our season of waiting. Today I wanted to share a few more scriptures that are bringing me hope and peace right now. Friends, if you are in a season of waiting please know that while it feels like it is waiting for us it's not waiting for God. He's busy working. Working for us. Oh the peace that brings. Have hope in his precious and perfect timing...Ecclesiastes 3:11.

{Little Letters // vol. 9}

I was bummed because I thought I totally missed the Little Letters link-up with Kristin at Taz and Belly during my blogging break!! But then I saw that her post didn't go live last Friday and actually posted today instead. Sorry, Kristin, I know that was a bummer for you...but I am glad I still get to join in. This is one of my favorite monthly link-ups that I always look forward to. And actually, every month I love this link-up a little more. To read my past Little Letters click H E R E. It feels so good to get these random little thoughts out of my mind each month! Here are my letters for this month...

{From the cutting room floor // What we've been up to}

Since my blogging hiatus I feel like I have so much to catch up on. My camera roll is about 5200 pictures deep and so many of them have not been shared anywhere. Today I wanted to share some pictures from the cutting room floor and what we have been up to the last few months. This is going to be the most random post, so bare with me!

{Currently & Three Things // September 2017}

I have been absent from this space for almost 2 weeks now. Not because of any one reason, but mostly because of lack of time. This is our busiest time of the year and with school back in session I am still trying to find my new normal & routine. It's been an adjustment, for sure. Always is. I think a bit of it has to do with me being in a funk without my boy home. I have such a hard time sharing him with school. With anyone, really. But especially school. Anyhow, a few days into my blogging break I started to realize just how much I needed this break. I started filling every free moment with reading my Bible rather than being on social media or tied down to this blog. It's been refreshing and so rewarding in so many ways. I do miss this space and reading all of your blogs though. I'm ready to jump back in. At least I think I am. I will more than likely scale back with how much I post, but I do know I'm not ready to give it up completely just yet. What better way to jump back in with a good ol' random catch-up/currently post?

{The Guys Behind the Blog // August}

Time for the Guys Behind the Blog - August edition!! I love getting to feature Nate on the blog each month and always look forward to his answers! Most of the time I can predict exactly how he would answer them and sometimes he totally surprises me. Here are his answers for August's edition of The Guys Behind the Blog.

{Dallas World Aquarium}

This past Saturday we left home bright and early to meet some friends at the Dallas World Aquarium. Nate had met Chris through a fishing tournament and they have stayed in touch. It was the first time for the rest of us to meet. Chris' wife and I showed up wearing almost the exact same thing, Our shirts were similar and the same color, our pants were the same shade of blue jean and we both had on camel colored sandals. To everyone else it probably looked like we planned it. We met at 9 when the aquarium opened and I am so glad we did. We were able to take our time casually strolling through the exhibits while talking and forming new friendships! It was an amazing day.

{9 FREE Back to school fonts}

Because I am a little font obsessed over here I love to share free fonts from time to time. And since I only have school on the brain right now I started searching for free fonts that were good for back to school time. I don't know about you, but I am all the time creating things and graphics for school. Today I am sharing 9 FREE Back to School Fonts with you.

{$10 to Target}

Happy Monday! I am only a week behind in sharing my $10 to Target challenge. Hey, that's what happens when it's back to school time. I live about a week behind for a while. :) I went to Target looking for fall stuff, but there was none to be found. Instead, I found the cutest "Farmer's Market" kitchen decor. I have a windowsill in my kitchen that I have been wanting to redecorate and I think these will make the cutest touches. I really wanted the "Fresh Pies" sign instead of the Farm Fresh sign, but they all had cracks in them. Such a bummer. But, I think everything I got goes well together. Here's a breakdown on costs...

{Five things Friday on the fourth Friday // 5 Things Bringing me Joy // A Link-up Announcement}

Back in April I wrote my first Five Things Bringing me Joy Right Now post, and then my 2nd post in July. Beth joined in and shared Five Things Bringing her Joy in July also. We love writing these posts so much that we decided to make it a link-up. And we asked our dear friends Stephanie and Jess to join us. Life can get so busy and mundane and it's always good to find the joy in the day to day. We all have something bringing us joy, right? We would love for you to join us in sharing your joy.

{First day of 2nd Grade}

Despite my best efforts to make summer last forever, that came to an end yesterday. Mason started his first day of his 2nd grade year. Nathan took off the entire day so that he could go with me to take Mason as well as pick him up. And so that I wouldn't be alone the first day Mason goes back! I love that man.

{2017 SUMMER BUCKETLIST // UPDATE #2}

I can hardly believe that we are already almost through the month of August! That happened too quick for my liking. I feel like I will be recapping summer for a while. We packed so much into the summer and squeezed every last ounce out of it. Mason might have started school today, but we're not going to let that stop us from some weekend adventures!  Back today with another 2017 Summer Bucket List Update.