Our Thanksgiving

We had a great time last week with our good friends from Charlotte. It had been a long time since we had visited with them and it was SOOO nice to be together for the holiday. The kids played together very well and we all kept busy with fun activities and lots of food. They only stayed for a night (I wish it was longer!), but we hope to do it again soon!!!

I brined and roasted a 12lb turkey and Patrick smoked a 5lb turkey breast. Though mine looks pretty (and tasted great) Patrick's turkey was excellent. Joy brought some sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, pecan pie and a few other tastey treats. I made the stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls and a pumpkin pie. All of it was very good and we ate until we couldn't eat anymore. The boys played croquet in the back yard and at one point had all 6 of the kids outside so Joy and I could have some peace and quiet. It didn't last long, but it was still nice nonetheless.

The girls played really well together. Sarah and Grace loved all the toys and Mallory shared very well. We had a toe-nail painting party in the basement later in the evening while Nate, Patrick, Peter and Alex played darts. The adults played games after the kids went into bed, though sleep didn't come for the kids until at least 10:30. On Friday, we introduced the T's to our gym that we take the kids to. Oh, their kids had a BALL. It was a great way to wear them out before their trip home. Let's do it again!

And if any of our other out-of-town friends want to come visit, the invitation is open!

A peek in the kitchen - what's for dinner?

I'm honored that a friend of mine has asked me some questions about my cooking tactics. I feel like I'm usually the one gleaning info from others and it's a honor for me to be a help to others. I've said before that cooking exclusively (rather than eating out or using packaged mixes) is a discipline that comes over time with perserverance and practice. Our family eats out maybe twice a month, sometimes less, which leaves me to do the cooking. I enjoy cooking immensely and it's a pleasure for me to fill my family and guest's bellies with the best food (economically speaking) possible.

So, I will dedicate a few posts to Kara and to others that may want a peak into my kitchen as I give away some of the tricks of my trade, which aren't much so please don't hold your breath in anticipation. :-)

First of all, I make a menu for the week every Sat or Sun, depending on if I go to the grocery store on Saturday or Monday (my usual grocery days). I usually cook 4-5 nights of the given week, the other 2-3 are leftovers or quick throw together meals. Here is my menu for the week:

Sun - Homemade pizza
Mon - Roast (Beef, Potato, Carrots, Onion) (it was very yummy, by the way)
Tues - Swiss Skillet Chicken, Veggie, Rice
Wed - Leftover Roast, Salad (church at 6:30)
Thurs - Chicken Soup, Salad, Grilled cheese
Fri - Leftovers (we have a commitment at 6pm)
Sat - Homemade Pizza (SEC Championship game)
Sun - Church Dinner

Before I make my menu, I look to see what is in the house so I purchase minimal things at the store. I also look at my calendar to see when I will be home to cook. I use a lot of factors in determining what I make when, which I'll probably save for another post. But, I had a roast and chicken in my freezer, rice in my cupboard, leftover swiss cheese and white wine from turkey day, lots of carrots and celery (for chicken stock for soup), and I always have pizza crust on hand (I make 3 dough balls at a time, large enough to make a 12-inch pizza). So, I just bought fill-ins from the grocery store to complete my evening meals.

I usually get my recipes from Allrecipes.com. I search for recipes based on ingredients I have in my house, sort the results by ratings, and usually choose recipes that have been rated high. I also read some of the comments, which include some "tweeks" to the original recipe. I usually keep looking through recipes until I eventually find one that I can use depending on all the ingredients the recipe calls for (I oftentimes make substitutions).

I'll be making this recipe for Skillet Chicken Supreme tonight, though I'll be calling it Swiss Chicken Skillet Supreme since I will be using swiss cheese rather than mozzerrella. Here is the recipe I'll use (this is the recipe on the website with the modifications I'll make):

1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup ice water
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup 3 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
2 ounces shredded mozzarella swiss cheese

DIRECTIONS
1. In a shallow dish or bowl, combine bread crumbs and 3 tablespoons flour. Dip chicken into ice water, then dredge through crumb mixture. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and saute until both sides are lightly browned and chicken is cooked through (juices run clear). Remove chicken from skillet and set aside, keeping warm. (note - cooking time on chicken is usually about 5 minutes per side. I will also pound my chicken)
2. To same skillet add mushrooms and saute. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon flour and stir quickly to mix together. Add broth and wine and let simmer, stirring, until thickened (about 2 minutes).
3.Return reserved chicken to skillet. Top with cheese. Cover and cook until cheese is melted.

I will serve this with Brown Basatmi Rice and mixed veggies. We'll probably also have some Applesauce, too (which I serve if we don't have a salad). On a side note, which I will also emphasize at another time, I ALWAYS reduce or eliminate the amount of oil, butter, and/or sugar a recipe calls for (except when baking). It's a good way to cut out fat and calories.

Getting in the Christmas Spirit!

We had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving (pics and more to come later) and are now officially entered into the Christmas season. Our tree is up, Christmas decorations grace our home and the Christmas music is playing. Well, the music has been playing, but we're now exclusively playing Christmas music.

The majority of what the kids and I have been listening to is the track of the Christmas cantata I'm in at church. We've been listening to it for a few months now and Mallory is pretty familiar with it. Her favorite song is "Gloria!", which is the hardest song of the bunch so it's good we listen to it so much. Here is are videos of her antics whenever it plays. She has a wonderful "audience" of one in the reflection of the oven. And as you can tell by the second video, Ethan enjoys getting "into it" to...maybe a little too much.

***Disclaimer: I usually don't post long videos, but these are longer than normal.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm really looking forward to today. We're expecting some friends from Charlotte to arrive later this afternoon to enjoy dinner and a night or two at our house. We should have a full house of children playing (6 kids total) and great fellowinship. We should have a delicious bird, or shall I say BIRDS (we're roasting and smoking birds this year), stuffing, mashed potatoes, yeast rolls, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserol, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and more. It will be great!

I'll be missing my family this year, all of which are staying in their hometowns. I'll be thinking of you all!

I'm very thankful this year, mainly to God for giving me such underserved blessings through my family and friends. I'm thankful for food on the table, laughter, memories, conversation, friendship, and fun. I'm thankful for Patrick, Mallory, Ethan, and my extended family. I'm thankful for my TN church friends, playgroup friends and neighbors. I'm thankful for my FL friends, PA friends, NC friends and more. I'm thankful for so much.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Someone I've been thinking about today

**Updated due to correct info I received from my fam...

You know, I'm often caught up in my own little world and forget about the hurt of others close to me. I have to admit I rarely remember the anniversary of my grandpa Lahman's death, but for some reason it hit me today that it was around this time some 20-odd 19 years ago that he died and I'm sure that this time is heavy on my dad's mind and heart.

That was a strange Thanksgiving week - the week that Grandpa died - and I remember a lot of it: Dad being down in south FL a lot, having a Thanksgiving pagent at school and being told shortly afterwards that grandpa passed away (I think my mom told Amanda and I in the bathroom of the Main Street Burger King in Gainesville...), travelling down there for the funeral, staying at John and Ronas, trying to have a happy Thanksgiving dinner despite that the funeral was either on or the day before Thanksgiving the day after Thanksgiving (he died the day before).

I figured I'd list some memories I have of my grandpa...
1. Grandpa had an artificial leg (he had his leg amputated years before because of complications with diabetes). I used to knock on his leg a lot. He also used to take insulin shots...and I didn't like shots!
2. Grandpa was VERY handsome. I always thought he was a good lookin' guy.
3. I used to like sitting at my grandparents kitchen table in the Hollywood, FL condo. The swivel chairs were so neat! I also remember liking to see my mom and dad kiss in the elevator on the way up to my grandparent's 2nd floor unit. Amanda and I also used to play shuffleboard in the courtyard area...Anyway, I remember he and my dad having conversations at that kitchen table. I don't remember what they talked about, but they talked there. Grandma used to serve us drinks in plastic cups with pastel-colored rims...I don't know why I remember that...

I only have a few memories, since I was only 8 or 9 11 when he died. My dad was about my age when Grandpa passed and I just can't imagine what it must've been like. Dad -I know this time is hard for you and I know I forget A LOT, but I just wanted to let you know that this year, I remember.

Amanda & Terry (and any other family), do you have any memories you'd like to comment about?

Recent Videos...

Here is Ethan taking a walk...it was his biggest one at that point. He's now walking from one thing to another that is within "reasonable" distance. I love watching him wobble! And please excuse my girl on the potty...




Here is a video of the kids in the snow. Trust me, it's not very amusing...except for the dog...

Missing you, Florida!

For some reason, I'm missing my home state like crazy...almost to the point that I wish I still lived there. It's odd for me because I haven't felt like this in at least 10 years. Oh, there are plenty of things I DON'T miss, like the summer heat and flat landscape, but there are more things that I do miss. I can 99.9% bet that we will never ever live there, but I just needed to say that I do miss it and today more so than most.

I miss:

1. Friends....or shall I say family. My closest friends in the world are people I knew in my Florida years. There are several families who are like true family...Jamerson, Clendenins, Balls...and Michelle. I miss them. I miss the familiarity and closeness we all had, thanks to the determination of my parents to be close to these people which led me to be close to them. In addition to these friends are my true family - my grandpa and lots of aunts, uncles, cousins live down there. I miss being close to them, too.

2. The Gators. My dad was the biggest, baddest fan of the family and still is. He worked at a restaurant on campus and we spent lots of time at UF as a family. Amanda went there and I had plans to go there, but I wasn't accepted for the term I had applied for (I was accepted for the following semester) and I had no scholarship. So, I went to Santa Fe for 2 years then to UGA the remaining 2 (where I had the HOPE scholarship making my education was free). I wish I would have gone to UF because I have so much pride for that school. The campus is great and very beautiful. I have lots of memories being the UF Homecoming parades from childhood to high school. I never went to a Gator Growl, but maybe one day... I miss UF basketball games. I went to several while I was at community college there. I've only been to one or two football games in the Swamp and oh, how I'd LOVE to go to another one! One nice thing about Florida field is that it's open to the public. Lots of students run stairs there. You can even go down to the field and walk on it. Everyone seems to understand having respect for the field. If I ever had the desire to go back to school, I'd love to go to UF.

3. What Florida represents. It's a big part my heritage. I grew up there. I became a Christian there. I formed my closest friendships there. We had lots of Thanksgivings and Christmases there. Lots of concerts and recitals. Lots of joy, laughter, tears, pain...the things that make up a person.

For some reason, these things have been heavy on my heart today. I'd love to go back. But, I'm here now. And I'm happy where I am. I just miss the many yesterdays of my life sometimes. And today is one of those days.

Strides better today

I woke up this morning VERY early with my hubby and spent some time in I Thes 5. Verses/Phrases like "be patient with everyone", "be joyful always", "pray continually", and "give thanks in all circumstances" really caused me to check myself. I've thought about these verses a lot today and I'm more prone to pray my way through this.

I've thought that Mallory might not be ready, but she also might be. She did pee pee in the potty today...after holding it for 6 hours. We both got VERY excited and we were both happy that the "staying close to the potty" vigil was over. Mallory has been running around pantless and the little potty chair has been in the kitchen, living room and bathroom today. Mal has been content with reading her books on the potty, even for an hour and a half this afternoon. When she finally went, she screamed "I did it"! Well, she says that when she doesn't do it, too, but at least I was able to be in positive agreeance this time!

Anyway, I don't think I'm ready to turn back; I've already started and stopped once before. I don't want to quit just because it's hard for me right now. I think I'm going to at least give it a week.

A few other things happening around here:

1. Patrick is working his tail off. He's had a shift in responsibilities and is seeing more patients rather than managing these days. His stress level has greatly reduced, though with an increasing patient load, he still spends lots of time on the road and on paperwork.

2. Ethan is REALLY trying to walk. He's been taking several steps here and there. I've have some funny video to upload.

3. I'm getting ready to sing a solo in church on Sunday. I haven't sung a solo in church for at least 6 years (well, except for my grandma's funeral). I'm excited and nervous.

4. We enjoyed some snow today here are some pics and a video will follow.

Potty training success? Where for art thou???

Oh, we're potty training and it's not fun. Mallory just CAN'T make the connection going pee pee in the potty rather than in her pants. We spent the entire day at home with me asking the question - "Mallory, do you have to go pee pee in the potty?" to which she responds "All Done". She's peed on the carpet twice and pottied all other times in her training pants. I always ask her "Mallory, where should we go pee pee?" to which she responds "pee pee in the potty". But, tonight, after peeing in her pants (w/out her pull up) she responded (with a very proud look on her face) "pee pee in pants!".

I've only been at this for a day and a half and I'm already about to pull my hair out. It's definitely a whole new world that Mal just doesn't get. I'm loosing my patience and I don't want this to be a horrible experience. Advice, please? Or at least directions to good advice?

The Party

We had a great time at Ethan's birthday party a few weeks ago. I had asked a friend of mine to take pictures for E's party, and pictures he took! About 1200+! It's taken me a while to go through them and put finishing touches on them, so please forgive me for the delay.

We had a hay search (inside the hay were letters with candy taped on them), personal pizza's with each child's initial outlined with pepperoni, chili and fixin's for the adults, and a deliche chocolate cake shaped as an uppercase E and a yellow caked shaped as a lower case e. I couldn't have pulled it off without the help of my mom and mother-in-law and almost everything turned out just like I had hoped. It was such, such fun.

Happy Birthday buddy-roe.

Wordless...Saturday? Mmmmkay

Behold the Lamb!

We just bought tickets to Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb of God tour that will be in Charlotte on Dec 17. I've REALLY grown to love this album and I'm looking forward to playing this one the most this holiday season. I have to admit, the first time I heard this CD, I didn't like it. It's not traditional. There are no familiar Christmas tunes (until you listen to it over and over and over).

But, I've come to love it. And I'm often moved to tears by the lyrics of some of the songs. The songs on this CD will bring you back not only to the true meaning of Christmas -the birth of Jesus, but HOW the birth of Jesus unfolded since the beginning of time. If you are looking to buy a good Christmas CD, buy this one (this link will also allow you to buy the album download)!

Here is a little blurb by Andrew Peterson about the jist of the album (HT: Between Two Worlds):

What makes this bunch of songs unique is that I wanted to remind (or teach) the audience that the story of Christmas doesn't begin with the birth of Jesus. Many people tend to forget or have never even learned that the entire Bible is about Jesus, not just the New Testament.So the musical begins with Moses and the symbolic story of the Passover (Passover Us) and works its way through the kings and the prophets with their many prophecies about the coming Messiah (So Long, Moses) to the awful four hundred years of silence before God told Mary she'd be having a baby (Deliver Us). After the song called Matthew's Begats, which lists the genealogy of Jesus, the story picks up in more familiar territory with Mary and Joseph and the actual birth (It Came To Pass, Labor of Love). The final song is called Behold, the Lamb of God, which ties together the Passover and the beauty and scope of the story.

Updates...

Well, we have had a very busy last several days. Over the weekend, we threw a party for Ethan's birthday, which was tons 'o fun. Both sets of grandparents were there along with many, many friends. I have TONS of pictures to sift through, so once I'm done with that, I'll post some.

In the mean time, Patrick is getting ready to take Mallory to Charlotte this weekend to spend some time with his folks. Patrick's mom just had a hip replacement surgery yesterday and is expected to come home tomorrow. Patrick is taking off work tomorrow and hoping to get there around the time she gets home from the hospital. Her surgery went great and she'll be going through physical therapy over the next several weeks. I think Patrick will be a great asset for her in these first few days at home. I'm making a meal to send down with him, since I know that it will be an adjustment for both of Patrick's folks as Mom Moss is recovering and learning the limits with her new hip.

Ethan and I will be together for the weekend. Though I'll miss Mal and Patrick, I'm looking forward to having the responsibility of one for the weekend. I'm hoping to get stuff done, yet I'm hoping to have some more bonding time with my boy. Speaking of E, here is a video of his new "trick" that Daddy taught him:

Two new songs...

Well, Mallory has been singing these songs for a while, but it's the first time I've recorded them.

The first song is "Cast all my Cares" (or as she says, Cast all my Pears)
"I cast all my cares upon You.
I lay all of my burdens
down at your feet.
And anytime I don't know
what to do,
I will cast all my cares upon You."

The second song is "Into my Heart"
"Into my heart,
Into my heart,
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.
Come in today.
Come in to stay.
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus."

A quiet night

Patrick took Mallory on a date tonight. Ethan is in bed. I'm drinking some deliche Pinot Noir while enjoying the peace (well, except for the hum of the computer and baby monitor...). I should be doing about 5 million other things. My friend Kara's pre-birthday-party list about sums up what I feel (her daughter turned three last weekend). I have bathrooms to clean, laundry to start, food to prepare, floors to mop...blah blah blah. But here I am, doing what I like to do - "computering". I'm going to head up stairs in a bit, turn on a movie (probably some hokey chick flick), finish my wine and start my chores.

And by the way, I MUST mention that I was able to go on a girls-only night with some of my great friends this past Wednesday. We laughed about random stuff over martinis and wine and soaked in a few brief moments of no responsibility except to help each other enjoy the moment. We hit Kohl's because of a cherished 30% off coupon that one of the girls had. We were shopping at 11:00 at night because we could. Oh, it was so refreshing! Margaret, Kara, and Jenn - you girls are irreplaceable.

Ethan eats some cake!!!

Here's a video of Ethan eating his first piece of cake on his birthday. Please excuse the accidental picture taken in the middle of the video. And please excuse my over-excited voice in the background, but I just couldn't get over the fact that Ethan was sucking his thumb while holding the cake...

Photo Shoot for Ethan's First Birthday

My boy is one!

It was about this time last year when I held my baby boy in my arms for the first time. I love him so much...more than I did in those first moments when I thought my heart would explode with love for him. Happy Birthday, buddy. You're such a delight to me!

Halloween

Yesterday, I had a ladybug and a chicken. Both were very cute - both made me laugh out loud, especially the chicken. We took them to church and then the ladybug went out with her Daddy gathering candy from our neighbors. We had a great time!

See the difference and year or two can make...

My vote is cast

I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said "Either way, we're screwed". I found myself laughing at the credence, though deeply wondering if the statement was true. It has been very distressful to see how how our country's ecomony as drastically weakened over the last few years and it boggles my mind to know how many people are facing forecolsures or other financial turmoil. I'm angered by the Bail-out bill that was passed a few weeks ago and wonder where our free-market society has gone (or was it ever here in the first place? - I don't know). I don't really know what to say about what I feel regarding the state of the economy. I feel a lot of people have succommed to greed for bigger house, faster cars, brighter TVs, and so many other things that sqeeze budgets and open credit lines. Has anyone ever heard of the word stewardship?

Anyway, I knew I was voting for McCain today. I was never on the fence. Obama has said too many things in passing that were like fingernails on a chalk board, like when he said that people can take money out of their IRA's without penalty for instance (what would THAT do to us financially?). But most of all, I am sickened by his position on abortion. Like my friends Kelly and Dana, I was wondering how the man was going to support his position on reducing the number of abortions when the first thing he'll do as president is sign the "Freedom of Choice Act" . What a horrible, horrible bill.

If you're reading this and are on the fence about your vote, do a little more research. Obama has charisma, charm, promises tax cuts for the middle class, and promises bright and shiney health care (which I personally don't see has bright and shiney). But what about his stance on the unborn? Think about it.

And please go out and vote. And remember that neither one of these men are the answer to our problems. The country should not be put first. And Obama will not give us the change we need. Jesus is who we need and we should put Him first.

- Abortion Reduction by the Freedom of Choice Act? - Randy Alcorn
- Barack Obama Takes a Subtle But Deadly Approach to Advocating Abortion

Fall Festival

There was a fall festival at a Lutheran church down the road from our house that we decided to take the kids to. There were infateables (Mal's favorite), bubbles, train rides, horse rides, local crafters and more. We got there towards the end, so the majority of the mayhem was down, which was good for our little girl. She had a GREAT time and cried when the big slide was deflated. We're looking forward to the fall activities this week at our church and in our neighborhood!

Thanks for sharing...

Ethan decided to share his cold with me. Thankfully, Patrick was here this weekend to take the "edge" off my care of the kids. Eventhough Ethan was still pretty goopy, Patrick took Ethan and Mallory out to Bojangles for breakfast on Saturday and then for a little bit of shopping. I had the morning to myself, which was just wonderful. I didn't start feeling the cold until yesterday afternoon, though I took it easy in the morning because I was just tired. I love quiet. I'm sure that when the kids are older and have left the house, which I'm glad is still a LONG way off, I'll miss the noise. But, for now I love quiet. And while the kids were napping I got to watch the Gators put Kentucky through the spanking machine. I love college football season.

Patrick had a great time with the kids and we planned on taking them out later in the evening to a fall festival down the road (more on that later). I took some cold medicine before we left and started feeling like a load of bricks hit me by the time we left the festival. We went to dinner at Cracker Barrel (a.k.a "The Barrel"), which is one of our favorite places to eat because the kids eat there so well. I had 2 cups of coffee, but was still feeling VERY tired and icky. When we got home, I realized I took night-time cold instead of day-time cold! No wonder I was draggin'! We got the kids ready for bed and Patrick watched a video with them before they were tucked in for the night. Patrick hung out with friends while I downed some probiotic and sucked on throat lozenges. Needless to say, I was out by 9:15.

I skipped church this morning since me and Ethan were both ick. E is doing better, but is still pretty goopy. I'm feeling better (I have great cold medicine!). Patrick is at church with Mallory tonight and E is already out for the count. I did vacuum today because my floors were so gross that I just HAD to vacuum! But, I'm on the couch after I fold the laundry...

Patrick and the kids:

Lifting up in prayer...

I was checking out my facebook page when I saw that there were condolences wishes to one of my friends (who happened to be one of my childhood friends from yesteryear). After doing a little bit more digging, I found an article that was posted today stating that her ex-husband, father of her sons, was killed in an accident yesterday in Gainesville near where we used to live. I know she and her boys are going through a lot right now and I ask for your prayers for Teresa and her family.

An interesting news article

I read this article this morning and thought it very interesting. Do you ever think we'll see stuff like this in the US?

Whole Worlk in Hands

The promised video...

Again? or shall I say STILL?

Ethan is sick again. I don't really know if he ever ridded himself of his stuffy nose last month, though it stoped running. Now, it's full blown runny-snotty yellow goop that has taken over his nasal passages. He's coughing, too. I just don't get it. Is it a myth that breast-fed babies rarely get sick? I heard it be true and as much breastmilk that my son has had, he should be well for the rest of his life! But, needless to say, he's been sick almost monthly. It's very sad and I just don't know what to do. I'll most likely sanitize EVERYTHING in the house, which will probably take a couple of days especially tending to a sick baby. Anyway, that's what's going on here. At least both kids are sleeping right now, which is unusual at 10am, but both kids need it. And so do I!

Catching up? Kind of...

I really need to sit down and journal about my time away with Patrick. But, it's such a large hill to climb and my time is pretty much limited, but by my choice. I realized how much time I spent on the computer once I came back from vacation and how the time I spent online majorly creeped into my time with the kids. So, I've really been cutting back - by probably half - of my time on the computer in order to enjoy the kids, walk (b/c my cholesterol is high AGAIN), clean, and get ready for the holidays (Ethan's birthday party is so soon!). Anyway, I hope to keep up with pics and updates for my out-of-town family and friends, but maybe not as often as I'd like.

We went to the gym today, which is our Tuesday and Friday routine. Mallory LOVES the gym and talks about it hours before and after we go. She looks forward to it and it's a cheap way for her to blow off steam and for me to enjoy her happiness. Ethan loves it too. And I'm sure he'll be walking around the entire space soon. Right now, he enjoys crawling all over the mats and bouncing his bum on the trampoline.

Our weather is simply beautiful right now, though still a bit chilly in the mornings to where I have to move my walks to the afternoons now lest I freeze my kids. Our foliage is beautiful and I assume we'll probably peak sometime over the weekend. It's just simply wonderful to live in the mountains during the fall season!

I took some pics of the kids today, along with some video which I'll post when they finish uploading. They kids were playing in Mallory's room after lunch. Ethan got into Mallory's snack that was left over from this morning and Mallory was trying to pick it up quickly (which she's supposed to do if her snack is dumped). Ethan didn't like her taking away food...

Ethan is 11 months

Ethan turned 11 months old while we were on our trip. I just got around to taking his pics and I just can't get over how much he's grown in the last few weeks. He's such a sweet boy and I'm so very thankful for him. Only 3 more weeks until I have a 1 year old!!!

We're back!

It's so good to be home! We had a GREAT time on our vacation, which I'll have to elaborate on later...when I have the time, which may not be until next year! :-) But, I can't tell you how wonderful it was to see my kids after 8 days of being away from them. I missed them so much, but it was a refreshing week with my husband and we were blessed with the time we had exclusively and individually. Though the suitcases are unpacked, I still have 2 more loads of laundry to do...4 are already complete.

Here are a few pictures. And I promise that more details will follow...

Yes Jemmie!

Mallory's "Jesus" medley

Jumping on the bed!

Ethan has JUST started jumping in his bed when I come and get him from his nap/bedtime. Oh, he's just so darn cute!

Getting Ready

There has been lots of list making and bag packing going on over hear. We begin our trek south tomorrow and I still have lots to do. The laundry machine has been working on overtime and I think I have more medication in our first aid kit than I know what to do with. Gommy and Poppy will be taking care of the kiddos while Patrick and I enjoy some much-anticipated R&R.

Mallory has been a big helper to me the last few days and I enjoyed painting her toes for the first time this evening. It's strange getting my toes ready for open-toed shoes when it's in the low 50's outside. Everybody is getting ready for fall while I'm getting ready for white sandy beaches!