What a Halloween!!!

Wow!! I feel like this has been the longest day of my life so far. Normally, I am a person who would prefer to be at home mostly so I am just exhausted!
We started out the day with 2 soccer games. They were the last games of the season so we decided to go to pizza to celebrate afterwards. We came home and put on our Halloween costumes to go to the zoo to trick or treat there. We had such a great time there. The lions were yawning (with a roar), the baby tigers were sleeping in a pack, and the beautiful white tiger was making a lot of noise! It is amazing to hear him roar! I was trying to get a video of it, but all you can hear is landon and thea begging to be picked up to see it. However, there was no trick-or-treating so we came back home and went out to do that. When we finished getting too much candy (and having a visit with our sweet neighbors) we went over to a family from church's house and had a wonderful time of fellowship around a bonfire. These families are so fun to get together with. They all have several children around the same age as ours and also homeschool. They love their families and the Lord and I just feel like we have so much in common. We are pretty new to church and they have accepted us and been so friendly. I am so thankful God led us to this church and to these wonderful families!
Now I am typing this trying to wind down a little and get to bed. Thankful that daylights savings it tomorrow!

I'll get pics of the kids' costumes up soon!

Blue!

Saw this on a MOMY's friends blog and thought I'd try it to

7 Blue Things I love

1. Thea's eyes (along with all the other blue eyes in my family)
2. The blue sky in Hawaii, which is the bluest I have ever seen.
3. The ocean in hawaii which you can see right through (sigh...missing HI today)
4. Mareea's blue (and white) fleece snowsuit that saves me from having to put her in a big bulky coat. She's the 4th child to wear this and it is such a blessing.
5. Dan's dress blues, because when he wears them it means we're going to Navy Ball and we have a date!
6. The blue nasal aspirators we got at the hospital with each child. Baby's love to be able to breath while they nurse when they have a cold :)
7.Landon's blue velcro shoes that I don't have to tie!


OK...I don't think i did very well on this, but i do really, really love that nose sucker. I have no idea what we would do without it. I even keep one in the car LOL!

I love my children

I love my children so much. Today I was sitting in the bathroom brushing my hair and my heart just ached with how much I love them. I praise God that I am able to stay home with them and homeschool them. There is no way that I could send them away each day for so many hours. Earlier in the school year I was going through a dark time and thought about enrolling the boys. I just shutter now at the thought of what that would be like. I love how Ashton will still hold my hand in the store and that I get to teach him and watch him learn. Today I helped Landon wash his hands (he did not like this by the way) and I almost cried over how big those hands are getting! I have a very vivid memory of washing his hands in Hawaii when he was around 18 months and just falling in love with how those chubby, little dimpled hands looked. Now they are getting so big and the little dimples are going away.
Today Ashton told me that we should "make a store and get some dollars and pennies and take it to a country where they don't have a church and buy stuff to make one". How precious they are. He will be 6 in 12 days and I can hardly believe how fast the time has flown. These loans from God are only with us for such a precious little time. Please Lord, bless me with the wisdom to raise them to love and serve you all their lives! And may I savor and appreciate every day that you have gifted me with them. Amen

Family Vacation to Red River Gorge

Mareea's "hiking in the cold" outfit



View from the top of the Natural Bridge
Mareea was exhausted after the big hike and fell asleep on the way down
Family shot
Hiking up in a cave type thing at a place called silvermine
Exhausted on the way home


We had a fabulous time in KY this past weekend. We hiked Friday morning and afternoon and again sat. morning and afternoon. Our morning hikes took about 2 hours each and the boys didn't complain at all! Dan had a wonderful idea when he planned this mini vacation. One of the best things was that it was only 2 1/2 hours away from the house instead of 6 like last year's fall hiking trip was! The cabin we stayed in was up at the top of a hill/mountain (I'm not sure) and had a beautiful view. The last day we were there the sun came out and as it rose over the mountains it shined right into the cabin. What a beautiful sight!

Fall 2009!!!

We spotted a big tree with freshly fallen yellow leaves on the way home from the store yesterday. After lunch we took a walk to play in said leaves and had a great time. God's wonderful creations (children and nature) are just beautiful together!

Dressed up for church

My notes from my Thursday Morning Mom's group today!

Put your husband's needs first and have a great relationship with him and your children will be secure.
*Think of what your husband would like to have done and do it
*Cook his favorite meal and have the kids help. Decorate the table special for it
*Trace cheap white cloth placemats with the proper table setting so little ones can help set the table.


Making deposits and Withdrawals
*When we say encouraging things to our children it is like making a deposit in them
*When we are critical, harsh or unkind to them we have made a withdrawal
*Make many more deposits than withdrawals

Family Time
*A good time to build values in your children
*At dinner each person says a good thing about their day. Helps them to focus on the positive instead of the negative.
*Use the "red plate" or any special plate. Give it to the birthday child or when a child has done something special
*Victory candle. Have a special candle to light for achievements or exciting events. Keep a special journal to record the date and event for which you lit it. When the kids are old enough to write, they can write down why it was lit for them.
*Family fun night. Take turns on who choses the dinner and activity. Have that child help prepare the dinner


Finances
*Point out to your kids how much things cost and how much you can save by not buying it, eating at home, making from scratch, etc.
*When a child is about 13 have him/her write all the checks for the family that year so they get a good idea of how much it costs to support a family and how important being frugal is.

Friendship
*Invest in the lives of your friends. Share meals with them...build relationships with them for the future
*Entertaining is a great way to make friends
*Have a list of a few "entertaining meals". Keep of shopping list for those meals handy.


Cooking
*Have special themed nights with decorations for dinner. Ex: italian night. Use a red checked table cloth and play italian music
*Start traditions of making foods that are unique to you that your children will remember you making.

Develop a habit of "Praising your way through the day"...laundry is not a chore, it's a time to be thankful for the clothes we have, clean water to wash in, a washing machine and dryer and healthy hands to fold it all.


I had a great time, learned a lot and visited with some very sweet moms. I also got to hold a tiny baby!!! Thank You, Lord!