This afternoon we carved pumpkins with the girls. They gutted them and picked out the faces and James did the carving. Lydia drew a face on a little one and cut off the top and carved it with no help. She was really happy to be old enough to do it all by herself. The pumpkin carving tools are much safer than knives. Thanks for bringing them this morning Carl and Mary!

Anjelia did her own pumpkin decorating! The messier the happier!

Saturday we spent the afternoon in the country at Mom and Larry’s. Tom and Karen met us out there and we had a fun, very relaxing, long hayride! The weather was perfect and the countryside was beautiful. I can’t wait ’till next year! It’s a yearly highlight.

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” George Eliot

Friday nights are my family’s favorite night of the week. There’s no schoolwork, no baths, and no homemade supper! Basically, I get the night off! We decided last night that Fridays would officially be take out pizza night! We pop corn and the girls have a slumber party in the living room. It’s a lot of fun! Thank God for the weekend!

Yesterday was Elaina’s Halloween party at school. She wanted to be a monkey for Halloween. Thursday we were gone for hours looking for a monkey mask or costume. We went to several stores and could find nothing. Finally, we decided on some cute pajamas with monkey’s all over them. She has monkey slippers and stuffed monkeys to hang around her neck. Basically, she was going to be a monkey lover.

That night as she was getting ready for bed, she said, “I think I want to wear my Cinderella dress tomorrow.”! Well, I guess she got a new pair of pajamas for my trouble!

Elaina’s posing in front of her Mother’s Day Out classroom. They went to the nursing home to sing for the residents.

I bought this pink mask at Target when we were out and about. She was really proud of her princessy self!

“Joey: You can’t have Thanksgiving without turkey. That’s like Fourth of July without apple pie, or Friday with no two pizzas.” Friends quotes

Wednesday, my sister and I and three of our kiddos, visited one of the best pumpkin patches around! Some of the activities we participated in included: hay slides, the petting zoo, the train, hayride to the pumpkin field, corn and hay mazes, snack bar for pumpkin donuts, and the trike trail. We spent three hours of fun enjoying our littler ones. (The big kids were in school.)

Elaina was incredibly proud of the pumpkin she chose! She tried her hardest to carry it all the way back to the wagon by herself!

Anjelia and my nephew Elan

It’s virtually impossible to get two year olds to look at the camera! They are so cute together. Elan was very proud of his bus that Beth bought him in the gift shop!

Doesn’t she look sweet. . . . She was very tired at this point. Just before I took this pic, she threw that pumpkin down and kicked it as hard as she could and yelled, “NO!”. Oh the stories pictures don’t tell!! I did manage to get a sweet pic!

“I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion” Henry David Thoreau

Twice a day, before nap and bedtime, I have the pleasure of doing one of my favorite things. Life just doesn’t get much more enjoyable than this. Not many things bring me as much happiness as rocking my baby. Well, she’s not really a baby anymore. How wonderful it is to watch her blossom into a little girl, eager to give out hugs and kisses, but it’s so sad to see that her baby days are gone. Being a mom is so bittersweet.

She loves to sit and rock her baby doll. It’s so sweet and innocent that it causes an ache in my heart. I just had to get a picture to help me remember this precious time.

We didn’t get to go on our morning walk/bike ride this morning. It’s in the 30′s and I don’t have all the winter outerwear washed. I am really bummed that the perfect weather is now a thing of the past. I don’t think I’d mind it so bad if I didn’t have kiddos that love to play outside. It’s just not the same once it gets chilly. Plus, it’s so much work just to go anywhere when everyone has to be bundled up. Blah! I will try to make the best of this winter and have a positive attitude. I do love the holiday season.

A couple of people over the weekend asked for my vegetable soup recipe. It is so easy and yummy. It’s perfect on these cold days.

Vegetable Beef Soup

Ingredients:

1 can of V-8
1 small can beef broth (I really like the campbells condensed beef broth. More flavor.)
1 32 oz. package frozen mixed vegetables
2 lbs hamburger browned (I used leftover roast and it was delicious)
season to taste

Directions:

Simmer on stove top for a couple of hours and voila you have soup!

“Worries go down better with soup”

Today is my Aunt Marlis’ birthday! She comments on here often and it’s so fun to read what she has to say, especially when she’s reminiscing. I’ve enjoyed her childhood stories and because of them I feel like I know my family a bit better.

Aunt Marlis is a gifted painter. I have several things around my house that she’s painted and I treasure them. It’s fun to see what new works she’s completed.

She is also a proud Grandma Tootsie to Ian and a loving mom to Kandis. Aunt Marlis spends her retirement days at her lake home – going for walks, taking pictures, painting and being a caregiver to her husband Richard.

Happy Birthday, Aunt Marlis!!!! You said you like cats, so here’s a kitty picture for you!

MORE kittens!

Our next door neighbor has a crawl space with an opening. Therefore, every stray cat in the neighborhood goes under there to have her kittens. When they’re several weeks old they come out, which brings much happiness into the girls’ lives. We are getting tired of finding homes for cats!!! This week a litter of four little fur balls came out to explore. The girls are having a ball!

Jessica brought home a cute little pumpkin from school this week. She immediately wanted to gut it. Four kids and one little pumpkin just doesn’t work. The picture says it all!

“No matter how much cats fight, there always seem to be plenty of kittens.” Abraham Lincoln

Karen, AKA Julie Andrews, with her young prodigy, Evely.

I would be lost without my good friend Karen. The gift of her friendship is an irreplacable one. We can be real serious, talking about the Lord and sharing our tears and completely stupid, snorting and cackling – all within a matter of a few seconds!! Happy Birthday, Karen. You are the Beauty of the story. May all your dreams and longings be satisfied!

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one” C.S. Lewis

We escaped for the weekend to a nifty campsite in a park reserve.

Now this is camping in style!!

Thank you so much to Mom and Dad D. for loaning us the Minnie Winnie! Thanks to the grandparents for babysitting!! Mom and Larry watched the two little ones while the big girls went to Janet and Richard’s. Jessica caught a 10 pound catfish in their pond! Thanks too, Janet, for doing all the child delivery and pick up! It was a tremendously relaxing weekend. Thank you so much.

Wildlife

I like this picture cuz you can’t see my ch-neck.

James created fire!

As if you’ve never seen a campfire before!

I know this is really dorky!

I have a genetic bone to pick. What is up with the ch-neck!!! Just where does my chin end and my neck begin? Geez…

We went for night drives to see deer. We counted nearly 20 in one group! My pictures did not turn out. I hope you’re not too disappointed!! They were very beautiful.

“Camping is nature’s way of promoting the motel business.” Dave Barry

As I mentioned yesterday, October 13 is our 15th wedding anniversary!! I know many of you have been married for 30 and 40 years. We must seem to you as if we’ve just started out, but I am very proud to have made it this far!!!

James and I met while we were still in high school. We married young and although that made starting out really hard – I have no regrets. I am very proud of the life we have made together.

Becoming parents to several young kiddos is the BEST thing to ever happen to our marriage. It has taken us to a much deeper level of teamwork and intimacy. I am most proud of how well we work together. We make a great team!!! It’s sink or swim around here!!

James, there is NO one else I’d rather be with . I really feel like God gave me the very best. I am soooo proud of you and thankful to be your companion. I can hardly wait for you to come home from work each day.

I started looking at my scrapbook pages and just had to post my favorite pics of James and I through the years. There are great memories behind each picture! My varied hairstyles and hair colors crack me up!

We met right before the start of our senior year. August ’89

James’ senior picture taken with his 1983 Mazda RX-7

Wedding rehearsal, practice kiss!

We were too young to have wine!!!

David and Christie’s wedding, November 6, 1993.

My 21st birthday!

We went with Janet and Richard to St Louis, 1996.

Our 7th anniversary get-a-way to Tan-Tar-A.

Celebrating our 10th anniversary in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! I got pregnant for the first time, just a few weeks later!