I'm thankful for...

As children growing up we frequently said something we were thankful for around the Sunday diner table. I seldom ever do that anymore but try to often find reasons to be thankful even when I don't voice them like that. These are a FEW,and I stress few since there are new blessings each day and the list is soooo long, of the things I am thankful for this season and always.

- my sister Joy(especially, since she just pulled through a scary time of extreme sickness)
- my other sisters,Rachel,Becky & Leah
- my brother Timothy(Bud)
- my parents
- three beautiful children
- a loving and hard working husband
- extended family
- the assurance of sins forgiven
- a big (at least to us)house
- a job to provide for our family
- great in-laws
- a slightly deformed garage door instead of injured boys (DON'T ASK!!)
- a dented suburban instead of an injured husband (yes,our life stays interesting:)
- family get togethers always a blast!
- a healthy new nephew
- five nieces and another nephew
- Christmastime I love it !
- flowers
- my laundry/hobby room
- visits with friends

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.
-- Epictetus
And now I am off for a few days to do something I don't get to do too often; spend Thanksgiving with family.

Baking Day

The boys had a baking(or maybe just mixing) day today. They really enjoyed dumping and stirring things together.
The ingredients:
water
milk
leftover smoothie
cornstarch
granulated sugar
powdered sugar
cocoa
wheat germ
salt
Bryce's verdict after taste testing: IT YUCK !

Pumpkin Time

Each year the children eagerly look forward to "pumpkin time" and ask about it several times through the year. We always go to the pumpkin patch and walk down one row and back up another looking over hundreds of pumpkins trying to choose just the right ones. It is terribly hard to narrow it down and we usually end up picking them up and setting them down a couple times before we find just the right ones.These were THE pumpkins for this year as well as a few miscellaneous fall photos.

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A SUNDAY PHOTO SHOOT OF OUR PRINCESS

Sorry for the duplicates.I hate when I don't have enough pictures to fill a book.

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Our sweet tenderheart turned five on august the 2nd.He thought he was such big stuff now that he wanted to take the gift card from nanna and buy a pocket knife.When mommy put a kink in those plans he decided that next year might be the right time.Doubtful but we'll see !

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Stories from the children

Our family has been in a motel this week while Aaron is working here in the area.As a way to pass time the children and I were outside on the grass this afternoon when the boys found a "hop toad".I just laughed and laughed as I enjoyed watching them.Austin had a new birthday toy to help occupy his time but Bryce desperately needed the entertainment.Austin was the one who originally caught it after Emilee spotted it but of course would not touch it.Austin played with it on his scoop tractor for a few minutes then turned it over to Bryce.While Austin was trying to get it back in his grasp at one point he said"you're a cute little guy aren't you".I smiled as I thought of his perspective while I looked at this dull colored lumpy spotted creature that I honestly didn't want touching me.He is such a tender heart that he just dearly loves any kind of creature.Must be nice to see all the creatures through those eyes.Bryce tortured the poor creature for several minutes.He kept calling it little baby until Austin informed him it was not a little baby but a big kid.It took him a minute to break the habit but he finally got it right.He was a little ditressed when mommy proclaimed it time to go inside.He was afraid the "hop toad"might hop away where he couldn't find it.I assured him that it or a friend might be around the next time we were out to play.

On another note,the children went to a party a few days ago with Aaron's parents and his cousin Jeff.On the return home they had to talk to an officer because of an excessive speed issue.When the officer walked up and asked if everyone ws buckled Austin said"Jeffrey wasn't".The officer said,"well he is now" and Austin said "but he wasn't."The officer was so amused that by the time he came back up he wanted to know who it was that Austin was ratting on.He said"Is it his dad"?and Austin said nope my cousin.Needless to say nothing serious came of the reason for the stop.Later when we asked Austin if he was trying to get Jeff in trouble he said, "No".I guess it was just a case of a child's extreme honesty.

Well I'm off to find more ways to entertain my kiddos.I have made up some interesting games the past couple of days.Any suggestions?

COMING SOON : BIRTHDAY PICTURES AND MORE.(when I am able to load them to a computer)I know a post without pictures isn't quite the fun.

What DO you do on a rainy 4th

The fourth of July is,in my book a bad day for rain.Of course I am not a big fan of rain too many other times either but it was quite a bummer that it rained all day on a day that's supposed to be full of outdoor activities.Here is what the children and I and a little later Aaron managed to find to entertain ourselves for the afternoon and evening in spite of the rain.
We sat in the suburban with the back opened up until shortly after the fireworks started then decided to go ahead and get wet so we could see better.Bryce chose to stay in the suburban.I think something about the "fire" part of fireworks didn't make him real comfortable.He was afraid they were burning the sky up.

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I think it is time for an update.Wouldn't ya say?I am posting some Easter pictures and a few miscellaneous of our life.The boys are loving the nice weather and all the activities that go with that.The creek,the mud from all the rain and being outside in general.Austin has,within the last month,started riding a bicycle training wheel free.He is ever so excited about it and we are enjoying watching his progress step by step.Bryce is of course declaring that daddy is going to take his training wheels off and he is going to ride like a big boy.Never mind the fact that he is just getting the hang of pedaling good.The video clips I think you will get a kick out of.For those of you who know Bryce as "me too" you won't be disappointed when you here that proclamation.Emilee has a little more than a week of school left for which she is thankful.She is ready to have more time to enjoy the nice weather too.We just took a very long trip that covered six states and included picking up a truck for Aaron,then spending time with family in new york.We spent a whole lot of time riding but enjoyed getting to be with family.

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Within the last couple of weeks we have finally had enough snow so that the children could enjoy it.This is what the boys have occupied themselves with as well as sledding which I missed getting a picture of.All of the children spent several evenings sledding in various forms.Sometimes it was down the hill and sometimes behind the lawn tractor but they had a great time!However I think there fun is over for a while because it has warmed and mostly melted off and today they were out riding bicycle with just a light jacket.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AARON

I'm back once again after a long break of hard work:)By the time I got over being sick I had a lot of things piled in on top of me so I have been busy with housecleaning,laundry and trying to keep up with all the celebrations that we squeeze together at the beginning of the year.Oh,then throw in Emilee's school and trips to Indy,for my husband, on the worst days(as far as the weather)of the year and a shopping trip or two and my time for blogging has been all gone so I will now try to make up for some lost time and post a few close together.

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Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband!(a few days ago now, the 4th to be exact)I was figuring and I think I have celebrated 10 of them with him but I am not sure if I actually got to be with him for all of them.I love him dearly!(even though he will never know I wrote this because he NEVER reads my blog because it gets on his nerves:)He scared me the day before his birthday by singing happy birthday to himself.I was thinking I surely had not lost my mind and got the dates mixed up because I was going to try so hard to make sure I wished him a happy birthday first thing on his birthday.Good News!I did not loose my mind he was just trying to make a joke for Emilee because she insisted for about two or three days before her birthday that she was already seven.

Here are pictures of the outside of our house decorated for Christmas.I know I'm a little late but I finally got my snow to add to the pictures after deciding I was just going to take them because all we could seem to get was rain or ice and I thought snow would make the picture look prettier.You'll notice kind of a messy look in front of the porch where the landscape is still a work in progress.The nice weather didn't hold out long enough for me to finish that project.

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Happy Birthday to my baby

I can't believe my baby turned three today.I have to admit that it makes me just a bit sad.According to Austin he was, at least two until late evening when we ate cake and opened gifts.I guess in Austin's mind that is the official turning of the age.He chose his cake and balloons this afternoon and we had cake and ice cream as well as all the birthday gifts from long distance family that we brought back with us at Christmas.We're planning a Chucke Cheese adventure as a joint birthday dinner for Emilee and Bryce since there birthday's are just days apart.That will probably happen this weekend.I had to post this picture of the"birthday tractor" seperately since it didn't work with my slideshow.

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