trick or treat

oh my goodness did we have just the best weather tonight!

perfect for an evening of trick or treating. The kids had

a blast and Victoria caught on real quick. By the time we were

through, she was saying "twik tree" and of course

she always ended it with "thank you"!

So cute!

she couldn't wait to dig into her sucker
Colson and all his "treasure"
(notice how many kit-kat-bars he got)
Jacqueline organizing all her treats, you know,
reeses one pile, kit-kat one pile, gum, etc.

After we made our way through the sub, we went over
to church for thier annual Halloween Alternative. It was
chaotic and crazy and the kids walked away with another
"huge" bag of treats.
God truly blessed us with not only an amazing day of
sunshine and warm temps but a fantastic
church family!!



the kids just before take off!

HALLOWEEN PARTIES

Perfect weather for parties this morning.

The kids only had a half-day so their parties

took up the morning at school. They had

lots of games, then it was dress-up and outside

for the first annual costume parade. The

kids had a ball and Victoria thought she was

a 1st grader right along with Colson!

Little Miss Soldier

(no princess this year)
Dash
(from the Incredibles)
love those garage sale finds!!!
Go! Team Go!
Little Miss Cheerleader

Colson and Victoria!

How can we not vote

"our morals?"

Take a few moments and watch this video, you won't be sorry.

sleeping beauty

the house became so very cute and I went

into the livingroom to check on Victoria, and this

is how I found her,

a little "sleeping beauty".

(with Barney playing in the background)

girls sleeping. . . . .

last night was the first night Victoria slept in her

new "big girl" bed. We purchased a trundle set

for the girls and its "oh so cute". I went in to

check on them before I went to bed and this is

what I saw. It was just so precious I couldn't help

but capture the moment!

my girls!
seems so weird to say, "my girls" after saying
"my boys" for so long, but I am loving it
and I sure do LOVE them!

PRECIOUS MEMORIES

My Aunt Enid, my dads sister, sent me this photo.

This teapot was a gift to my grandma from my grandpa

on their first wedding anniversary. Oh how sweet it

was to see this, to know that a piece of the love they shared

is still in our family and is still evident today. I was brought to

tears with the many "precious memories" that flooded me.

Thank you, Aunt Enid, for sharing, via pictures, this treasure!

FLASHING LIGHTS

This afternoon Brett and I took a run up to the outlet malls so he could spend a bit of his birthday cash. As we were on our last turn before the mall we passed a State Police Trooper. I wasn't concerned because I knew I wasn't speeding, I hadn't made any illegal turns, I was pretty much, for once, doing everything right. . . . or so I thought! As we drove down the road the trooper was a good distance behind me, far enough that he couldn't make out our license plate number (without x-ray vision). Brett and I were chatting and he so sweetly reminded me that our license plate tab had expired on his dad's birthday last weekend. GREAT, just GREAT! I knew that too but one tends to forget these things when you jump in the car and take off. Anyways. . . it wasn't long and his lights went on and I said to Brett, "oh my gosh I know I didn't do anything worng" so I pulled to the side of the road and he pulled in behind me. I got out the necessary paper work forgetting the most important one, my license. He came to the window and I handed him the registration/insurance (we keep these in a special book designed for them) and he asked for my license. I got that out of my purse and handed it to him. He stood there, looking for our insurance and tossing old ones at me telling me to throw them out, when I mentioned that the newest insurance slip was in the pocket on the front of the black book. He pulled them out checked the dates, and then said after he read the registration, your tabs are expired by 6 days. He handed me back the papers and took my license and went back to his car. I said to Brett there was no way he could have read our plates from 1/2 mile away he must have just randomly stopped us, either 1) we have a McCain/Palin Sticker on the back window, or 2)we have a My Son is in the USARMY sticker on the other window, because he had no clue our tabs were expired until he read the registration. How else would he know? Its still October. Crazy. Thanfully he just gave me a warning and said to get the tabs renewed, of which we had already planned to do that on Monday morning. Den had planned on taking care of it on Thursday but got sick, and truthfully I totally forgot about it. I honestly hope that he didn't stop us because of the bumper stickers but who knows, and how ridiculous. Maybe he had a quota he had to keep for pulling people over today, whatever!

A surprise Package!
I received this package of homemade soaps in the mail today.
My dear sweet friend, Heidi, makes soaps and I was the receipent
of an assortment of her wonderful creations.
I was so touched by her kindness, thoughtfulness and her
generosity! especially since she sent me a special bar for
Colson to use (he has severe excezma).
Whenever anyone gets an unexpected package everyone
gathers around to see what was sent and from whom!
As I was pulling the soaps from the box each one had to
be sniffed by the older boys! How cute! They were
ooing and aahhing over them as much as I was and
choosing which one they wanted to try out!
Love it!
Thank you so much, Heidi! Your gift came at a perfect
time and was a great "pick me up" today!

Heidi's soap blog

http://www.soapaholicsanonymous.blogspot.com/

Majesty

worship His Majesty

The sky was just gorgeous this morning. Jacqueline, Colson

Brennan and I just stood in awe of the beauty

Good Morning!

As Colson says, "I can't believe its Thursday already. . . "  Of course his week went fast because he was able to be home, from school, 1.5 days this week due to a few Asthma attacks.  He is doing better, sleeping better at night too without so much coughing.   

We have enjoyed a few days of beautiful sunny but cool days.  I hear these will end next week as we are predicted to get some white fluffy particles falling from the sky!  I can't believe it.  We haven't even had Halloween yet.  Speaking of Halloween.  UGH! I dread this time of year only for the simple fact that I am just not creative in the costume department and once fall hits thats all the kids talk about; what they are going to be for Halloween and come to me for help.  HELP thats what I need in this area.  This morning, Jacqueline exclaimed that she was going to be a dancer, and wear her black ballet flats.  I said, "ok, but what are you going to wear with them?"  Of course, she has no clue and expects me to pull a costume out of a hat!  Yeah! OK!  Colson informed me that he is going to be a cowboy. WHEW. . . .now that one I can do, we have a great cowboy costume, it used to be Daniels, (can you believe I actually saved that for 20 years????)  I must say boys are much easier to outfit for dress-up than girls.  I know Jacqueline has some fancy idea in her sweet little head of what her costume should be, and with all her friends buzzing about the latest outfits their moms ordered from ebay or whatever, doesn't help my plight!  Usually she is fine with whatever we come up with and I am praying that is the case this year.  Its tough, being in 5th grade, the trends become oh so popular, a bad hair day is drama, etc.  This is all new for me, having raised so many boys it is vastly different raising a girl and hopefully as I walk through my mistakes with her I will remember to try and do it better with Victoria.  I love my boys, love having boys, love everything about boys, I grew up with boys, and being a reformed tom-boy, it is indeed different raising girls.  You just can't do girls like boys.  They require a different set of rules, a different way of speaking, a different way of handling issues, and then theres all the drama.  WOW!  I am sure I created drama in my day, but I am not going to ask my mom because I was a "good" kid! LOL  anyways, we are enjoying the mix God has blessed us with.  Its fun and I love it.  Victoria, at 20 months, wants to get her ears pierced.  Of course she didn't get that idea from me or from her sister (who hates any form of needles/shots) but from Benjamin, Branden, and David, her older brothers!!!  Now, every time she sees these boys, she points to her ears!  Den said she could have them done, if I go with her.  OK thanks for that pressure.  I can't even do her shots how can I take her and get those ears pierced????  It may be awhile before we make the trek to the mall, yet if her brothers have their way they may just snatch her up one day and taker her themselves.

Well its time to see my sweet ones off to school.  I sure am going to miss them! Thankfully my older boys have a half-day today and no school tomorrow.  Gotta love those teacher conferences!

Enjoy the beauty of the day. . . . .

our morning routine. . . .

Colson gets a morning breathing treatment before he heads

off to school these days. Poor little guy asthma reeks havoc

on his little body.

Jacqueline needs help with blow-drying her hair
Victoria "doesn't" need help with her breakfast!

(shes a big girl and wants to do it "by herself")

All three of these make for a busy last few minutes of the morning

before the kids head out to catch the bus! as soon as they leave

Tori is off to take her morning bath! Her tray looks a mess, it is; she

looks a mess, she is; but

she eats almost every piece of cereal!

LEGO GIRL
This little cutie loves to play with legos and thankfully
she doesn't put them in her mouth (thats reserved for her passie). This is
her favorite spot to play.

The Great "Pumpkins"

part I

Den helped Jacqueline and Colson carve

their pumpkins tonight. Aren't they

scarry?

(to come Brennans and Victorias, part II)

We've got trouble, right here in River City. . . . .
Does anyone remember that song from the "Music Man"? That tune keeps running through my head today as I relive the scenario that played out last night! I was sorting through Victoria's closet, organizing more like it, and was placing piles of clothes on the floor. She kept getting into everything her little hands could touch so I asked Jacqueline to put her in the crib. We continued sorting and folding, when "bam. . . . slam" she was out of her crib. She fell flat on her face. I jumped up and grabbed her and was trying to console her as she was screaming and touching her little nose. Both Jacqueline and I were shaking. I finally calmed her down and checked her all over and she seemed fine. I, however, realized in my jumping and running to her aid I re-pulled those muscles in my lower back AGAIN! This is getting real old now! I was finally almost on the mend; now I am moving ever so slowly again. I guess what they say is true. . .the adrenaline takes over and you don't feel any pain in the heat of the moment, you just react. That I did but I sure feel it now. . . .and now. . . .we have trouble. . . . right here in River city. . . .our little monkey can get out of her crib. . . . GREAT! this will be interesting for sure.

Happy Birthday to you. . . . .

Den and Brett

enjoy your day!

FREE DINNER
Den and I took the four younger kids to our local
elementary school for dinner tonight sponsored by

our local PTA. I, for one, love sloppy joes, but most

of the kids don't. They did nibble at it and made an

attempt to make it look like they had eaten most of it.

The kids enjoyed all the stuff going on around them and

especially the anticipation of the raffles. We won a box

of chocolates and a cookbook for diabetics!

It was just good family fun.

Colson and Jacqueline

Brennan is always a good sport to come along with the

younger kids to events!

Victoria spent quite a bit of time under another

table playing and eating what others had dropped!

It was just a fun night to connect with friends and

enjoy visiting with other families. We are blessed with some

GREAT teachers who love what they do and love the kids!

TGIF!
This morning when Colson woke-up he said to me, "I can't believe its Friday already, the week went by so fast, I'm so glad!" (my sentiments exactly) Since I hurt my back I look forward to every new morning, hoping it will be a bit better, and thankfully it has. Today, however, its on the very sore side, not sure why. . . maybe I slept wrong or maybe it was because we had a contortionist sleeping with us most of the night, just not sure, but I am moving slowly and cautiously. Life still moves on, however, and theres still "stuff" to get done. I am well into the massive laundry pile today, thanks partly to Victoria for sleeping through the night for the first time in literally months! I was able to get some great rest and got up at 4:30 and enjoyed the quietness of the morning, all to myself. I started laundry, cleaned-up the kitchen from my boys "late night ravages", straightened up the livingroom, put away 2 baskets full of laundry, well not actually put it away, but placed them outside all of the kids bedrooms for them to put away (which they are pretty good about doing); got the coffee made, emptied trash, checked my assignments for the day, checked my grades, checked email and was able to sit and enjoy the "sounds of silence" before the house came alive with showers and voices. Now everyone is off to school, the house is quiet, once again, with only the sounds a 20 month old can make. I have come to love the quietness, its rare around here and when it occurs I just enjoy it emmensley. I can even hear birds from within closed windows, etc. The fall beauty is in full aray with trees now loosing their leaves. There is one street by the kids school I find myself driving down almost everyday because its totally tree-lined/tree-covered and its just BEAUTIFUL! I drive down it ever so slowly and soak in the beauty. All too fast winter will be here and I want to savor, in my memory, the beauty of fall. We have been blessed to have one of the best falls on record here; minimal rain, sunny days, some warm days, and astounding color.

We have a birthday weekend in store for us here, it is both Den's and Brett's birthday on Sunday. I am not sure yet our plans and seem too, of late, put things off until the last minute. . . hey its less stress that way, right? Brett is excited he will be 18! he is even registered to vote and looking forward to it too! Brett wants to eat at Red Lobster for his birthday! My family LOVES shrimp and they have all you can eat, which means they pretty much eat shrimp until they almost get sick! LOL I wonder sometimes when our family enters the restaurant if they don't groan! Oh well! we are paying customers!

Enough said, "make some memories this weekend! they last a lifetime!

Thanking Him for him!

Last night Brett sat down at the computer to "help" me

with that 'previously posted computer assignment'. In no

time at all, less than an hour, he had the entire assignment

figured out! What took me 9+ hours to do he was able to

accomplish in minutes! He blessed my heart last night for

helping me! What a gift this family is of mine, because even in

small crisis' they are there and come through for you, no matter

what! (a phrase mydear sweetfriend Renae always said) every minute of it!

Isn't he fine looking in his choir robe!

UPDATE!
The concert was FANTASTIC! both choirs did great apart and together. It was very entertaining and I am going to put up one of the songs they sang soon, it was amazing. Our college boys came and were impressed so you know it was GOOD!

We're off!
In just a few short moments we will be leaving for our very first high school choir concert. It does seem a bit strange yet I am looking forward to it. I used to play in our marching band and symphonic band so I had many concerts. I am sure my parents were less than thrilled to attend them over and over, but I never heard about it if they did.

The guys arrived home with Brett after school. Nice group of guys, polite and courteous. I always love hearing about their families and their lives. We enjoyed dinner and they are off practicing and getting ready for their debut!

I am going to try and video a segment of the concert. Hopefully someone can assit me with putting it here on my blog. Thats another area, beside my Excel 2007, that I have trouble understanding. Maybe, just maybe, I might "get it", sooner than later!

Busy. . .Busy. . .Busy. . .
We have a full day of busyness today. I think I am geared up for it. Thankfully the pull in my back is doing better, however, I still am not able to rock Victoria yet, which makes it rather difficult for naptime and bedtime. I am blessed to have older boys who don't mind doing it and a husband who loves doing it!

Brett has an Acapella Concert tonight and our school is hosting another choir from a school several hours away as well. They needed homes for the kids to spend the night in and we were asked to take 2 boys. I am always up for people over so I immediately said yes, then I got an email from the choir director asking if we could house two more as a family had previous commitments and couldn't. I emailed back and said sure. My older boys are freaking out at this point because they think its WEIRD to have strangers sleep-over! They were coming up with all kinds of issues they might present. (I have to admit some of the things they brought up made me wonder too!) They will come home with Brett, after school today. I have my meal menu all planned out for tonight, because we also have a home cross-country meet at 4pm, then the boys all have to be back at the auditorium at 6 for a pre-rehearsal and the concert starts at 7pm. Our older boys kid Brett quite regularly about his "thespianism". HA! Having a singer/actor in our home is not the norm. Brett is pretty good natured about all the ribbing and teasing. I think one of the boys said, "I think I'll kill myself if I have to sit through another play. . . ." LOL LOL All in all its rather a nice change of pace to do something a bit different than all the sporting events. The concerts and plays definitely draw a different crowd than the rowdy fans of sports (myself included).

I still have some extensive school work to do, which has been really pushing my buttons lately. Last night I had a paper due, which I (Den, Casey, our Pastor, Ben, Brett, Bryan, Brad and Barry) had worked on, at various times, from 1:3opm until 9ish and it still wasn't completed. Its ridiculous for a 100 level course to be this extensive and intense. Den wasn't happy nor I and I finally sent the prof an email stating that I wasn't able to complete it in the time alotment. He responded saying that it was quite alright he is very flexible with due assignments. PTL because I have two more extensive papers due on Wednesday and Friday of the same type. Den and I are looking for someone who knows Microsoft Excel to help me. How crazy and extremely FRUSTRATING. I also had a test that had to be taken before midnight. Thankfully I was able to complete that and I think I finally went to bed about 11:45. Then of course, our little sweetie decided she wanted to get up and be awake for a few hours. UGH! Den put her between us and we just kept telling her to lay down and go to sleep. I knew I couldn't rock her and sometime in the night, I think later than sooner, she finally fell asleep! WHEW! what a night. Poor Den he has to sub everyday this week and we have, as I stated earlier, a busy day in store for us and there will be no rest for him! Poor guy!

I am off now, to clean the bathrooms (no small feet with a sore back), vacuum and strip a few beds. The laundry is about done and even caught-up, the house in order, the dishes humming away in the dishwasher and Victoria catching an episode of BARNEY! I am enjoying my second cup of coffee; its cool outside, the trees are in full aray of falls beauty and I am blessed to enjoy the gifts God gives me!

Oh my achin' Back!!!!
Ever heard this statement before? Well. . . . .I am living it these days. A few weeks ago I pulled a muscle in my left-side lower back. I have been careful what to lift and how to lift it. However, last night, as Den was at a speaking engagment, I was getting Victoria out of the tub and as I bent over to pull her up I felt my back pull and wouldn't you know it, I re-pulled that muscle! Ouch! I never realized just how much you use those lower back muscles until now. Seems like everytime I turn they pull, or try and bend over (which I don't now), or sitting, or getting up or turning real quick, its the lower muscles I am using. It sure can limit you on what you do too. Just simple tasks are painful; getting a pan out of a lower cupboard, picking up anything on the floor, etc. Its so frustrating and I am working real hard at not being a "baby" about the pain. Brennan usually does Sunday morning papers, he and Blake spent the night with Dave and Casey, so mom was on duty for the early morning paper delivery. I wasn't quite sure how I was going to manage but I pulled it off. I am hoping to use Den's laptop tomorrow for school work because sitting on a hard stool just doesn't cut it! Thankfully everyone has been wonderful and extremely helpful. Its "oh so hard" to ask for help. . . .it much easier to "give it" than "get it"!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDMA!
Today we had my mom over for her 76th Birthday.
To surprise her I also invited my Aunt Janie and
Uncle Roger, her sister and husband. We just had the
best time. Most of the afternoon we spent outside
visiting and enjoying an Indian Summer Sunday.
Sometimes I get so busy, with my family, that I forget
how much I miss my extended family!
Here are a few shots of our afternoon.

Mom and Dad, Aunt Janie and Uncle Roger

Grandma & Victoria

Aunt Janie and Jacqueline

Casey, Victoria and Colson

Asthma, day 2!
Colson woke-up about midnight last night with another asthma attack. Den set-up his breathing machine and gave him a treatment. I had done it the night before. These cold fall nights reek havoc on his system and I know that we are in for a long winter with attacks. I am trying to get his system charged with a maintance dose of meds everyday, but the past few nights he has needed more. It will take a few weeks for the meds to kick-in. Poor kid! He was so cute this morning when he woke up. He came and climbed on my lap and told me that he was so glad his dad took care of him last night and told me the whole story about coughing, throwing-up (he has a real sensitive gag reflex) and how dad gave him his treatment and let him lay on the sofa for a while! This is also the first time in months his skin has broken out too! He is a mess these days and hopefully we can get him squared away. We let him stay home from school, he was elated about that, of course. I can tell that Victoria has missed having him around, she doesn't get too far away from him, its cute to hear them giggle together, and enjoy playing together.

Beautiful day!
After lunch Victoria and I took a walk enjoying
the cool fall weather. Though it feels like rain
it was breezy and nice out. She found a few leaves
along our journey and I couldn't pass up a few
pictures of her with the pumpkins.
She still sits like her biggest brother! (I smile everytime
I see her do that) I guess she is a bit tired from the long
walk in the last picture! She loved it and didn't want
to come inside!

Daddy and his kids at play!

I couldn't help but take this

photo because it touched my

heart so. Seeing Den playing

with the girls and Colson!

What a great dad he is and

its evident by all the "stuff"

he does with and for his

kids!

The Nature Park

What a beautiful afternoon for a short

walk in the Nature Park. The fall

colors were spectacular. Our Nature

Park hosts the area cross-country team

so we were able to enjoy the scenery

while waiting for the runners.

Me and the girls. . . . this morning Jacqueline has a doctors appointment to recheck areas where she had moles removed. I thought since she was already missing school, that we would make a day of it! Doctors. . . .lunch. . . . haircut. She is excited. Its not very often that just the "girls" get a day out. Hopefully she will pick a kid-friendly spot for lunch so both her and Victoria can enjoy themselves, then its off for a new "dew" for her, and then home just in time to pick Colson up from school (he's not happy, one single bit, to go without her, "it's scarry riding the bus alone"), and head out to Brennan's cross-country meet! Looks like a beautiful day is on the horizon as well! YEAH!

The boys stopped by to mow our lawn. Scottie
mowed and Dave enjoyed some special snuggles
from Victoria, but it wasn't long and she
wanted outside to help Scottie mow.
Just a few shots of her riding along. . . every now
and then she wants to hold the handles too!

Not much going on. . . . .with the exception of a kidney infection and a kidney stone on the move, thanks to hiking last Sunday! UGH! but a woman's gotta do what a woman's gotta do! laundry, cooking, sorting closets, etc. It never ends even when you just don't feel good.

"an unexpected blessing"

Tonight after I put Jacqueline and Colson to bed I came downstairs and found

my sweet friend, Tammy, on my doorstep. She handed this book! We laughed,

hugged and both shared that it's definitely going to be a big commitment in

living out the principles.

If you haven't already seen the movie make some time and see it!

there's a CHILL in the air!
We have some crazy weather going on here. Last week it was hot, crazy hot and we were all on the anxious side for fall weather. This week we have cold, crazy cold and without a furnace its downright freezing in our house! But. . . . .I have to say. . . . .theres a blessing here. . . . .we are so thankful for our gas fireplace. Its kept the main floor of our home pretty toasty these past few days. Upstairs, now thats a different story. We definitely are piling on some more quilts tonight. I nearly froze my toes off last night!

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES!
We are experiencing FRUSTRATION with our cable. Several weeks ago it completely went out. We made "the" call and a tech came out. When he opened up the cable box outside, he found animals had chewed almost through our cable line. He replaced the line, PRESTO, cable was on again, but he left the new line exposed. . . .from the cable box, across the driveway, up to the house. Once again we are having "problems". Den called last night, and of course, a tech can't make it out until next Tuesday! Tuesday right, you have got to be kiddin me! I have a huge assignment due tomorrow, Friday, and a mid-term essay to write! Oh what fun to rely on the cyber-world! I guess my days will be spent either at the library or in Den's office at church, which I totally don't wanna do ALONE! empty churches freak me out! Thats a story for another post, maybe around Halloween! anyways my time is very limited on here, sometimes it works, but more times than not it doesn't. It actually feels like we have the old dial-up service where you wait and wait and watch that triangle keep spinning. I am wondering. . . .hum. . . . looking. . . .for the blessing even in this!!!

thanks Ben, for the sweet MSU jersey!
I love it! You're an "awesome" brother!
love, Colson