Fall Frenzy

 I think to say it's been a full last few weeks in the Martino household is a bit of an understatement. I kept meaning to write this post but it just hasn't happened. Sleep has been in short supply as Eric and I burn the candle at both ends working hard and playing hard. We've been embracing the cooler weather with more time outside including camping (twice!) in the last month and lots of evenings in the backyard- most notably sweet Isla's big birthday bash. Unfortunately cooler weather also brings with it the return of cold season and two weeks ago Isla came down sick with fevers and then an ear infection and a yeast infection and thrush (exacerbated by the antibiotics for her ears). I had to take time off work to care for her since Eric is totally swamped at work right now prepping for their big conferences while simultaneously applying for and interviewing for other jobs. He had two third-round interviews last week and one scheduled for this week so we are hoping that offers come in soon. It would be extra great if he got to start somewhere new before he has to go to RSNA the week after Thanksgiving but we don't know if that will happen. I'm just excited about the potential for growth these new opportunities are presenting him and excited for him to get to work in more of a team environment and hopefully be a bit happier and more satisfied at work. This change has been a while in coming so I'm just really praying one of these jobs works out. 

While Eric has been hard at work working, I've been working hard too both at my job and around the house. I finally finished the shelves and drawers for the Murphy bed! And I painted our closet and revamped our closet door. 

 

Our house hasn't been the only thing to get a facelift this fall. I've been working hard gettting back in shape. I have been waking up at 5:55 every weekday to work out and I've only missed one day so far since Levi started school! It's hard but I'm proud of myself for taking that time for myself and I feel like it helps me have more energy throughout the day. And I've now lost all my Isla baby weight! Woot! Also, to celebrate fall, I finally hennad my hair! I've been thinking of doing it forever and I finally took the plunge! And I love it. Like it genuinely makes me so happy. I feel natural as a redhead and I just want to keep this fire- it reflects all the fire I've got inside. 

 

Henna has to sit on the hair for 3-4 hours and is a gloopy mess to apply. I wrapped my head up in seran wrap and wore a beanie but still had to wipe a few leaks! 

Super worth the results though and it made my hair so smooth and healthy feeling!

Speaking of fire- we got to have fun with fires with two camping trips this month! First, at the start of October, my mom came out and we all drove out to Dierks Lake in Arkansas for a Fri-Mon camping trip. I was really nervous because we’ve never camped that long before and I wasn’t sure how it would go. I Pinterested a lot beforehand and put in a lot of time menu planning and meal prepping and borrowing a bunch of things and thankfully it all paid off and the trip was awesome! The food was all great with very minimal cooking, the weather was perfect, it was beautiful and the kids had a great time and never complained about being bored and Emery only asked for her tablet once and Levi never the whole time we were there! Oh and also the kids slept much better than I expected which was a huge win. It was so peaceful to get away from our chores and screens and to-do lists and just spend some quality time together. With how well it went I would actually consider doing it again haha!

The hammock was a huge hit and got a lot of use that weekend! 

Even though the lake was low, the kids still have a great time splashing around and running through the water even though it kind of grossed us adults out with all the goose poop. 

Grandma really made this trip possible. It was SO helpful having her there to help with Isla and the kids. 

So I was really glad that I had read some blogs and followed some of the tips/hacks I found including using a foam play mat in the tent to make the ground more comfortable and hanging fairy lights on the kids side of the tent to make it extra magical in the evening. Also I took an empty laundry detergent container and filled it with water and turned it into a hand washing station which was a huge win! 

The view from our campsite 😍

So that was the first camping trip. Then this past Eric took Levi and Emery and went camping at lake Lewisville with a whole bunch of his family members. The kids had a great time making memories with their cousins and Isla and I got to get a lot done at home with them gone! 

In case Halloween didn’t promise enough sweets this month, the kids also hit the jackpot with a piñata! 

When we weren't out camping these past two months, we enjoyed other family fun:

Eric and I went frisbee golfing on a date one Saturday and it was beautiful! And we found this awesome tree. 

Me and Emery had matching braids. 

Emery is VERY nurturing towards Isla. Often to an extreme where we are constantly telling her to stop picking up the baby, stop moving the baby, leave Isla alone, etc. But it is very sweet how much she cares for her and Isla loves Emery too. 

Fancy like date night at the temple and then a nice steakhouse just because :)

One of the family highlights this month was Isla's birthday party which was a ton of work but turned out so great! We had a backyard BBQ with a lot of our friends and we loved being able to show off our yard and have it full of happy people we care about. I made a ton of food including Islas sprinkle smash cake and printed out her month pictures and about me poster to celebrate our baby girl! 

Speaking of Isla, this little girl's personality is really coming out now. She is active and independent and wants to be big. She has a great sense of humor and loves to laugh and it blows me away how much she already understands so much of what we are saying! I can say “let’s go put your shoes on” and she’ll walk over to the shoe basket, get her shoes and sit down for me to put them on her. She’s also started talking more and now says “hi” and “yea” in addition to “dada” “go” and “done.” 

First time in a coat and soo cute! 

She recently loves playing with babies! She will lay them down and cover them with a blanket and pat them on the back. Or she will put them in the toy high chair and try to feed them. She loves snuggling them and carrying them around and it is sooo cute. 

Isla also likes pushing the buttons on the dryer and stealing the dryer balls and playing with them. 

She also likes to try to draw although she often struggles to actually make any marks on the paper and often marks herself instead! 

She likes her food big rather than cut up. We don’t usually oblige her but when we do she loves it. 

 

She sometimes refuses to let me feed her and wants to use the spoon herself which is minimally successful. 

Isla also loves trying to brush Emerys hair! I thought Emery would be our queen nurturer but it looks like Isla will give her a run for her money! 

Speaking of Emery, my little spunky girl is all sass and personality! 

She adores her cousins and loves to be with them. 

She also loves playing with her friends (like Addie) and dressing up is the preferred activity. 

Took the kids to the dentist the other day and had to snap this picture because my sweet Emery looks like she’s at the beach haha. 

She’s getting a little better at soccer but mostly just loves getting the treats at the end of the game and chatting with her friends on the team haha. 

Levi is growing up faster than I can even believe it. His life is busy with school and friends and piano and soccer. 

He still loves Legos and he and his friends make great creations.

 

He likes to climb our tree in the front yard.

He is also loving soccer and getting more aggressive and improving his ball-handling skills. His team had a spontaneous group hug during halftime yesterday and my heart melted a little. 

Levi also got to go to his friend Landrys birthday party yesterday which he really enjoyed. 

But Kyler is still Levi’s bestie. He goes over to Kyler's house every Tuesday and I’m really grateful he’s got a good friend who is also a member of the church.