BOO!

We picked a great neighborhood for trick or treating!  Our neighborhood was filled with children and several houses that went above and beyond with their halloween decor.  Shane had to work, so it was his first year not handing out candy.  I saved him a little to eat!  Tucker went with other teens who lived here.  I have mixed feelings about that.......Trick or Treating should be for the little ones.  Mason, Chris and I went with our friends who live across the street, The Stewart's.  Mason got a ton of yummy candy and it was fun walking with our new friends.

 Mason's Jack o'Lantern.  Everyone else thinks they are too big to carve one :(  That makes this mom very sad.

 His costume is some kind of Star Wars guy.  I think the bag said ARF Clone.  He was happy with it and that is all that matters.

 This is a house on the corner and they get really into scaring all the kids.  They had music from Friday the 13th blasting all night.  People dressed up as scary movie characters holding weapons....like machete's.  Mason walked up and got pretty close and then ran away as fast as he could.  Tucker talked smack to them from the comfort of his front yard.  When they would start coming towards him he would run into the garage.....very brave...lol.  I'm talking pretty big but there was no way I was going anywhere near that yard!  We are chicken's and that's the way we like it!

Eli, our friend from across the street, and Mason!

I think there are only about 3 weeks left until Thanksgiving.  We are so excited to be spending it with our family in Johnson City and not all alone at a Cracker Barrell in Pensacola.  I think all of Chris' siblings will be there and most of the cousins and we are just so excited!  We truly have so, so much to be thankful for this year.

My FAVORITE Month of the Year

Fall Break was spent in beautiful Indian Boundary campground.  It is our favorite camping destination!  We had a huge group of friends up there with us and all the boys were in heaven.  I do not think I appreciated these people enough when I lived close to them......love, love, love them.  Every single one of them.
While camping with our BFF's is wonderful....I am not sure it is good for our mental health.  It always takes us a couple of weeks to recover.  We miss everyone so much that it is a reminder of what we are missing out on.  It takes 2 years to get used to a "new home".  Or, so they say.  So, we just have about 19 months before we don't feel such a huge hole in our hearts.  On the other hand....camping is some of the best times we spend as a family...so we are not willing to give it up.
Here are some pics.....

Mason wanted to go hiking so we went over to Monte Sano Mountain in Huntsville....and hiked.  Chris and Mason left me and Tucker in the woods and we were pretty sure we were going to die alone in the woods.  It was Blair Witch Project 2011.  They finally came back and Tucker and I swore we would never hike again!  It was pretty......but I'm kinda lazy.

 This is what Tucker and I do when we get bored in the woods......lol

Mason has run a couple of 5k's before but last weekend he ran his first ever Trail Run!  Chris ran it with him and he said that Mason didn't stop once.  We were so, so proud of him.  He loves to run :)  You would think after that he would need to rest....but no....he played outside the rest of the day.

 This is not Maryville.....but at least we have mountains close to the house.

Yesterday, after school, I took the boys to take their pictures.  I think I am going to try to do Shane's senior pictures myself and we are well overdue for pictures of all three boys.  All of the boys need haircuts so I will probably try again next week  I am going to get some software to help me edit them but here is a couple.....

Hope your all having a GREAT DAY!

Worst Blogger Ever

Yup.  I am the worst blogger.  I think of things to write all the time...I just can't manage to actually write them.

I could lie and tell you that I will be better....but that may not happen.

Here is a quick recap of what we have been doing since August.

These boys had to start their 2nd new school in a year and a half.  I can't begin to imagine how hard it must be nice to have to walk in the door of a new school.  We all feel like we have been in limbo for a long time.

They are growing up so fast.  Sigh.  Seems like just yesterday they were this little.....

We found a nest with baby birds in a bush outside of our garage......Mason and his friends won't leave them alone.  So, when we would walk out the door the momma bird would dive bomb our heads.  Nice.

Mason found a website where they set up Star Wars figures and took pictures of them.  So, Mason has been doing that for a few weeks now.  He has over 100 pictures...yikes.

Some of our very, very good friends in Tennessee came to visit!!!  We were so excited.  It was so good to see some familiar faces.  Rose and I always have a great time together and it is especially wonderful to annoy the kids.  They say they're coming back soon.....we really hope so!

 Rose and Mas

 Caitlynn and Shane at Bridgestreet Mall

Austin showing Shane some love.

I made Mason play baseball....because I have pictures of Chris, Shane and Tucker all playing.  That is how my sick mind works.  Months of  long games...because I need a photo opportunity.  Mason does look so, so cute in his uniform.  I think he likes baseball but he just is very nervous about hitting the ball.....we have to threaten him to swing.  He's getting better....slowly.  When we can get him to hit the ball he will probably be the fastest runner on the team.  The boy can run!

Tucker has Sever's Disease....which has something to do with the growth plate in his heal.  If he is on it a lot...he is in a lot of pain.  They rarely cast for this....but look who has been casted.  We don't do anything half way around here.  Poor Tucker did not get to play any football at all this year.  He was sad....and we were sad, too.  It has not been an easy move for my middle..wild child.

Mason really likes these crutches!

 Shane went to Homecoming!!!!  He went with a girl he knows from school that he also happens to go to church with.  I am not a big fan of this black on black look....but he was so handsome.  That was his last homecoming...ever:(

 

The youth group at church had an all nighter for the middle schoolers and Chris and I volunteered to help.  It was a lot of fun and we got to meet some of the other parents.  Tucker may be having trouble making friends at school but he isn't having any trouble at church.  It was nice to see him back in action!  On a side note....he has never roller skated before.  Seems kind of weird.  We have taken them ice skating a few times...but roller rinks are usually so dirty that I just never tried to take them...and they never asked.

The Christian rapper, Flame, was in concert at church and I took the boys to see him.  Both Mason and Tucker got to meet him and have their picture taken with him.  They were pretty excited!

We had a funeral, recently.  Mason's fish, that we got in Florida, finally died.  Quite honestly, I was wishing this would happen long, long ago.  He dug a deep hole and Chewbacca and Shark bait are buried on the side of the house.  R.I.P.

Well, that gets us through September!  I know you are all in suspense wondering what exciting thing the Redman's did over fall break.  I will try to bring you that fascinating story on Monday :)