Trick or Treat

What a fun night of trick or treating with my kiddos! It's really the small things in life that make some of the best memories. We don't really get into celebrating Halloween; I prefer just to think of it as a fall holiday and avoid all things scary. Tonight Bryson was a Thomas Train and Avery was a puppy. We went around the block and got LOTS of candy. Bryson was so excited that he wanted to run from house to house. Avery just chilled in his stroller. We could've gotten more, but my little train got tired. Phillip stayed behind and handed out candy.

Now we're all worn out and ready for baths and bed. Hopefully I can keep Bryson out of the candy tonight! Here's a few photos of our evening.

Just Me...

My husband is gone squirrel hunting with a friend. I told him I didn't care if he went as long as he didn't bring anything home! Nope, this girl isn't about to make squirrel gravy or whatever it is people make with squirrels! It's been a long time since Phillip has had the chance to go hunting, so I'm glad he got to go this morning. But, I've been kind of feeling sorry for myself lately. I feel like Phillip and I have been running in two different directions for a really long time. I'd love to just slow down and have a little more "normal" time with my husband and kids. My "down-in-the-dumps" attitude hasn't been what I like to have or what is pleasing to God, I'm sure. So, here are a few things that I have to be thankful for and reasons I have to be HAPPY!
1. Despite limited time together, I do have a great husband! He loves me regardless of my many imperfections and tries his best to be supportive of his family.
2. I have two precious little boys. Bryson's imagination and active nature may test my patience sometimes, but he makes me laugh more than anyone in the world. And Avery is my little cuddle buddy. He's always got a smile, and God has taught me so much since Avery came into our world!
3. My parents are AWESOME and now live only 3 hours away. Woo hoo!
4. I'm blessed with two church families! And I am thrilled with what God is doing with our church at Spring Valley!
5. I have a cute little house that my handy husband is remodeling for me.
6. We rarely have extra, but we always have enough.

I already feel better. Here's a couple of photos of my little blessings!

Quiet Time

Somehow this evening I ended up with the house all to myself! I had to attend a wedding rehearsal that I'm playing the piano for, so Phillip had the boys. He ended up taking them to do some errands with him, and rehearsal ended sooner than I anticipated. So, I've been spending the last couple of hours in a quiet house.

I wasn't sure what to even do at first. I took a long, peaceful bath, did a couple loads of laundry, and surfed the web for awhile. Sounds real exciting, right? It has been kind of nice, but it's almost bedtime, and I'm ready for my munchkins, and of course my husband, to get home!

We've just been enjoying this beautiful fall weather we're having this week. I know that soon it will be too cold to get out, so I've been trying to spend as much time outdoors and I can. Wednesday was Bryson's much anticipated Pumpkin Patch field trip. Phillip went along, and they came home with stories of the hayride, apple cider, and even the news that one little boy got bitten by a donkey! Avery has been just truckin' right along, even with this runny nose and not so great blood counts. It makes me so happy to see him handling this cold so well!



We've also been trying to spend plenty of time with Phillip's dad. Something about losing a loved one just makes you want to take a little more time for the rest of your family. Actually, this evening Phillip, his dad, and the boys have been hanging out together, so I can only imagine that he might appreciate his quiet house tonight. I'm so thankful that we have the Lord to rely on and so many friends who lift us up in prayer! There's no way we'll ever fill this void in our lives, but God is faithful!

Well, I just heard a little knock at the door, so I think my quiet time is about to end! And I'm glad! I'm gonna get off here and enjoy a few minutes with my boys before bed.

Monday Madness...and More :)

I've done it again...went way too long in between posts. I just can't believe it's almost mid October already. Time is just flying by, and it seems to get faster every day! We've just been staying so busy with our normal schedule of preschool, work, church, with some extra activities mixed in. I'm teaching for Sinclair two nights a week, giving nine piano lessons at Northside Christian School on Mondays, and trying my best to be a good wife and mom. Being a wife and mom are surely my most important jobs!!

Today has been a typical Monday where we all feel a little lethargic from the weekend. This weekend, though, we spent in Indiana with my parents. It was our first trip since they moved north, and I'm sure we'll have many more! Ordinarily, I dread the trip as I strap the kids in their car seats knowing how many miles lie between us and my parents. But, the three hour trip zipped by with hardly a grumble or complaint from the kids. It was great! Yesterday was their Homecoming service, and Phillip preached the morning service. He did great, but he was nervous, and of course, I was nervous. So, there was some stress involved, but overall, it was a nice trip.

One thing that has been worrying me a little lately is Bryson's educational future. He is unlucky enough to have an August birthday, so we can either send him to Kindergarten the week after his 5th birthday or hold him back a year until he's 6. We're leaning toward the first option, so I've been trying to work with him on his letters and numbers. He's such a smart kid in so many ways: he can quote entire Thomas stories, sing numerous songs, recite many memory verses, and has an unusually active imagination. But he acts like he has short-term memory loss in other ways. I know part of it is the teacher in me and the other part is the OCD mom in me who wants her son to be successful, but I've been drilling him lately on his alphabet and numbers. Tonight we spent thirty minutes on the number 7. Seriously, he knew all the numbers around it, I had him say the word about a hundred times, and played games with him, but almost every time he would get this blank look on his face and say, "I don't know." Makes me feel like screaming a little bit!

Avery had a hematology clinic appointment today. Labs were okay for him: hmg 9.3 and platelets 50. Neither are normal, and neither make me too happy, but it could definitely be worse. I'm thankful that he is hanging in there, but I would love to get to the bottom of all of this. We're still waiting for a referral to JH. On the upside, he's had a cold for about a week, but he is handling it so well! I think this is the first time he's had just a cold, and not one that has turned into bronchiolitis, pneumonia, RSV, or something more severe. Maybe his immune system is getting a little stronger after all! His school teacher and physical therapist have been raving about his interaction and stamina at school. They claim that he is allowing them to do so much more with him and is responding so well to the other kids. I"m thrilled with that news, of course. We also got a new medical grade stroller for him that was donated by a family upgrading to a wheelchair. It's so nice and we send it to school with him so transporting him is easier and he can be more outfront during certain activities.

I can only imagine how boring this blog must be if anyone happens to be reading. Maybe this week something more exciting will happen or I'll be inspired to write something thrilling to read (not holding my breath for that:) ).