Saturday, November 17, 2018

Fall Highlights

We started off September with attending the wedding of a dear friend of mine, in Hutchinson. It was a beautiful day and I loved getting to introduce my husband to a whole different set of my friends that he hadn't met before.
This girl is such a gem and I am so thrilled for her and her new husband to be! 
Side note: she sewed her own dress, as well as the bridesmaids dresses, with layer upon layer of gorgeous chiffon, and they were stunning!
Also, whilest speaking of clothing...=) A number of you who saw this picture when I posted it on instagram, asked about my dress. It is the Mikarose Miranda dress and actually not maternity, but is working great thus far to accommodate the growing belly situation!
 You can buy it here in floral options.
The day after the wedding, we had company from Alaska! It was such a treat to have these dear friends in our home for a brief visit before we all headed to Iowa for Turning Hearts + Family Camp.
The second week in September found us in Iowa, helping with week one of my family's Annual Family Camps. I missed the volleyball court this year but the sacrifice was worth it for baby. =)
John did a great job as MC for the arm wrestling competition. His running commentary of questions + humor kept everyone in stitches!

I loved spending time with my family while in Iowa for family camp. 
Thrift shopping with my sis in love. She and I share the same love for a good bargain!
Lots of soup cravings for this mama to be. =)
Storytime with the nieces + nephews. And a wild game of hide + seek in the dark, after that. 
He's gonna make such a good daddy!
Hanging out with these dears while our men were gone on business trips.
We are making our own kombucha now! I feel so domestic and healthy with all these bottles of yummy fizz setting on my counter and in my refrigerator!
Celebrating this girls sweet sixteen party with her!
Date night @ Saltgrass while on a trip through Colorado Springs.
Our latest addition to our backyard is a lovely little firepit! 
We had all the family over for a last minute s'mores party!
I loved these beautiful fall colors I got to enjoy on my morning walks!
This little man got to enjoy a shopping trip with his mama + I. =)
My hardworking husband replaced the remaining four windows in our house. Little by little we keep making progress on our home and I couldn't love it more!
We drove two hours to Bethany MO to attend one of my families concerts.
I never get tired of hearing them sing!
Spending time with Wallace!
Mom and the three littles returned with us to spend a week in Kansas! We had such an awesome time.
We cooked out one evening.
Another day, we took our Iowa Bontrager fall donut making tradition and started it at my house in Kansas! 

Smiles and powdered sugar noses!
Also, you can buy your own apron like Rebecca's, here, and one similar to mine, here
I invited over the ladies + littles in my new family to enjoy the yumminess with us!
There is just nothing like homemade donuts, let me tell you!
Hudson turned the big thirteen during the visit, so to celebrate I took him and the ladies to the nearby Cabelas, which has a phenomenal array of top notch animal displays. He was in heaven!
Doing nails with the sisters.
Guests from Iowa! I have been SO blessed by all of my friends who let us know when they are traveling through our area, and stop to either join us for a meal, or spend the night, or both! Such a blessing to stay connected with my friends in this way.
There's just nothing like a clean kitchen. One of my very favorite things!
Picking apples on the first day of fall.
John did the climbing and got the ones out of reach!
A crockpot full of apples ready to be made into applesauce!
Spikeball with the siblings!
The nieces and I were the happy cheerleaders. 
Supporting the sisters + nieces for their annual Operation Christmas Child fundraiser breakfast! 
Met up with my mom and some of the girls for the day at a friends' home in Des Moines. We had a lovely brunch together and enjoyed a little shopping. 
Wedding time again, with my favorite guy. So fun to see so many of our friends find their "forever" this year! 
So good to see these girls again during our time in Oklahoma!
Girls night with my sisters in love one night while John was gone on a trip. Homemade pizza, salads, hot tea, and biscotti made for the perfect evening together! 
The mugs are these lovely ones-given to us as a wedding gift.
I'll end with this shot from a gorgeous evening we enjoyed along the nearby river. So peaceful + beautiful!

And those are a few favorites from memories made this fall! 
Happy weekend!
-Chels

25 comments:

  1. So fun to peek into your life!😊

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  2. Hi Chelsy,
    I've been "stalking" your blog lately hoping for an update after you've been quiet for so long... and today I was lucky! :-) I always enjoy reading what you've been up to - you have such a gift with words and describe everything so vividly! Not to forget the great pictures... :-) All the best to you and your growing family!

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    1. You should subscribe-then it would come straight to your email inbox! =)
      Thanks for your kind words!

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  3. Yay! A new post! :) It was interesting to see what you've been up to. I noticed you went thrift store shopping, which is one of my favorites as well. I'd be interested...what types of things do you look for at thrift stores? What do others look for? What are some tips on WHAT to look for? Maybe this could turn into a future blog post? ;) God bless you as you near the arrival of Mr. or Miss Maxwell!

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    1. Great idea for a future post; I'll keep that in mind! I buy almost anything + everything at thrift stores-well, not quite, but close! =)
      For example, though, that day my sister-in-law and I were shopping, between the two of us we purchased everything from a game, to a Christmas cd, to a sled, to several missionary biographies, to sweaters, to mens shirts, to a child's bike helmet, to leg warmer socks. (it was a particularly good haul!)

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  4. Awee Chels! So thankful that you were able to come to my sweet 16! It meant so much to me! We need to do coffee again sometime soon!

    Love,
    Mackenzie

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  5. Just wanted to say a massive THANK YOU!!! For the link to the mugs!!

    My Sister has been looking for them since the ones she had were broke during a move!
    They meant a lot because we got them together when she was pregnant and before she moved 2,000 miles away.
    I’m going to surprise her with them when I visit her next month.
    It might seem silly but the gift will mean so much to her and that makes my heart happy.


    Sending prayers as the arrival of your baby gets closer.

    Blessings,
    Elizabeth

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  6. Thanks for lots of fun picks Chelsy!
    I too love thrift shopping!
    I tried once to make kombucha! I even got past getting the “live” thingy’s in the mail and bottling it all up but never was quite sure it was done so I chickened out!
    Lot’s of cute babies in this post!
    Is that Sarah M. with a Wissman guy? Did I miss something!
    We got apples this year too! I put all of mine in the freezer for pies! A bushel seems like a lot when your peeling but actually it only adds up to a handful of pies!
    Blessings to you and John

    Johnna

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    1. It's taken me a few tries to get the kombucha making process down, but I'm really enjoying it now!
      As for the picture-I have no idea what picture you're talking about! Or which Sarah M you mean, as both Sarah Mally and Sarah Maxwell were pictured in this post. There was no Wissmann guy that I know of with either of them. =)
      Thanks for your comment! I was using your wedding gift today (the glass spray bottle) and thought of you!

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    2. I Love those spray bottles! Glad you could use the gift! I was actually referring to Sarah Malley! LOL!! Just now realized that could be confusing with 2 Sarah M’s! Maxwell would be M as well!!

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  7. Hi Chels! Thanks so much for this fun update. I'm curious...what are some of your favorite flavors of kombucha? I am always on the lookout for new flavoring combinations. :)

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    1. My current favorites flavors are apple, and white grape!

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  8. Next time you're in Colorado springs, let me know! We are so close and would love to meet up! 🙂

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    1. Hey dearie...I thought of you and SO wanted to come see y'all! Unfortunately we were there for a very short time and didn't have extra time. Definitely want to come see y'all sometime though-hopefully next time we are in CO we will be available!
      Thanks for the giftcard-we LOVED Saltgrass! =)

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  9. Thanks for the post, Chelsy! I love your house, it looks wonderful! And those homemade donuts-delicous!

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  10. Looks like you’ve been having a fun fall! And you look absolutely stunning with your growing baby bump :)

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  11. Hi Chelsy! Would you be willing to share your donut recipe? They look so good and I've never had much success with homemade donuts!

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    1. I'll keep that in mind as a possibility for a future post!

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  12. Hi Chelsy,
    Could you please share the donut recipe, they look soooo delicious!!!!
    Thanks

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  13. I just cams upon your blog. I love the dress you sewn for Lydia.

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