Some yummy advice!

I thankful for this advice from my 6 year old.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Francis

Ella came home from school today as Francis. That is the pilgrim name she recieved for her class party today. They had a grand feast and reinacted the events (Ella told me that her friend was one of the unfortunate ones that had the part of someone who died on the ship....then she went on to tell me how she consoled her friend and to let her know that she would still be able to eat the feast with the rest of the class).

I thought it was funny how much she loved the name. She said that she was going to name her kid that. And she wore the name tag that she got all day. She even insisted on wearing on her pj's at bed time.

I am grateful for teachers.

Nothing exciting.

My life is pretty ordinary. Most days have nothing exciting happening in them. I seem to be a home body and don't mind if I stay home all day. Since I couldn't think of anything to take a picture of I just walked around my yard shooting pictures from my hip. It was fun to see what I got pictures of and to get ideas from them. You would be surprised at how some of them turn out.

But like I said...nothing to exciting.

I am grateful for hand-me-down boots.

It's like going on a treasure hunt.

I noticed at the beginning of summer that we had some stray carrots growing in odd spots around the yard, so today Acadia and I went on a treasure hunt to find them and dig them up before the ground froze. None of them were ready, but we dug them up anyway. I think this one was the biggest of them all.

The best part of it all was how excited Acadia was when she saw what was on the end of the stem. She tried eating them before we got inside to wash them. And then once they were washed and the stems cut off I gave her one to eat. And she seemed to love it so much that she couldn't hardly wait for the next one. So while I was peeling the next one she grabbed the stems and started to nibble any little piece of carrot she could find still attached to it. Funny girl!

I am grateful that all my kids love carrots.

Who knows?

I have never tried this before. I planted these carrots in a pot at the end of summer.....they have been really slow to grow. And now that the cooler weather has come they make frequent visits to the warm house.

I am thankful that we have had a warm fall.

The fun of new snow boots

There was still some snow left on the ground and so Acadia and I went out to explore. She had gotten new snow boots and was so fascinated with watching her feet as she tromped around. I think she went around the whole yard 4 or 5 times walking in every pile she came to before she got bored with it. Then we hit the bubbles and I think it was the first time that she was successful at blowing them on her own. Go Acadia!! lol!

I am thankful for things that my kids feel proud of.

Fall

I am grateful for warm autumn days

Here chicky chicky!

With that last snow storm, my chicks wouldn't leave their run. It was their first snow storm and they were scared of the strange white stuff that now covered their world. When it melted they were quick to come out and find a nice dry spot of dirt to have a goood ol dirt bath and a little snooze in.

I am grateful for these 3 little hens.

It's a girl thing

I am thankful for my little girls.....but I am a bit nervous for those teen-age years with all of those girlie mood swings. yikes.

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy!

I couldn't have asked for a nicer fall day. I think it hit the 70's today! And the sun was shining. I have been so sleepy all day, so as soon as Acadia hit the hay I took a blanket outside and decided to take a nap in the sun.

I don't know what it was, but as soon as I was out there I was WIDE awake. I think I was just too happy to feel the warmth on me and enjoy the sounds of nature to sleep. I can't explain the joy that the warm sun brings to me.

I am grateful for joy.

hmmmm.....someones missing.

We started the garland of gratitude 4 or 5 years ago. Every year we add something that we are grateful for. It is fun to see the ones that Ashlyn wrote when she was first learning to write and it is a nice reminder of what we have to be thankful for.

Ashlyn noticed that Acadia's name was not on the garland yet....oops! I know what I am adding to it this year!

I am thankful for reminders.

Team work makes the team work!

Break time for Ella.

I am grateful that all my kids willingly chipped in to help sweep and rake up the leaves and put them in the trash.

3 days of costume wearing is wearing me out.

I don't know what it has been about this year's Halloween. I felt so on top of things at the beginning of the month. Then, as the month some how just flew by in the blink of an eye, I realized that it was the 31st and we still hadn't carved the pumpkins or made the halloween cookies or played our spooky games. So, luckily, we had already got some pumkins and I set out to help the kids carve them by myself.

And, of course, it turns out that it is one of those days where I wake up with a splitting headache and my neck is killing me too. 3 pain killers don't even touch the stinkin headache....and I find myself thinking 'Is this what a hangover feels like?' There weren't any alcholholic beverages, but I was up pretty late at that party being crazy (not unless Dee or Gail spiked the apple cider ;) )

Anyway, sorry I am rambling on. So on to the pumpkin carving. So there I was. Just me and my 3. They were all looking at me expectantly for an exciting day of carving pumpkins and such. (Ashlyn even told one of her friends that she couldn't play because it was family time day.) So I set them on to the task of designing their pumpkin faces. I thought that I could relax for a few minutes while they contimplated the perfect face for their pumpkin. I thought that they would try a few different eyes or noses and mouths, but nope. A minute, maybe 2, later they had all finished and were ready to carve. I started with Ashlyn's and lets just say it made me never want to carve another pumpkin. It was SO SO SO thick! And once I got the knife in I could hardly get it back out. And on top of it, every time I tried shoving that knife in and then yanking it back out was like someone was standing over me with a sledge hammer hitting my head in perfect sync to every knife jab. I am just grateful that the other 2 pumpkins were a breeze compared to that one. Oh and after I had just about finished with all of them I put some icee-hot on my neck and the pain just like vanished after a few minutes. That stuff is a miracle drug! Just wish I had thought to put it on sooner.

After the few hours that it took to painstakingly carve the pumpkins, we ran some errands and then made some spooky cookies. I was too lazy to make the dough from scratch so we opted to pick up some of the premade-not as yummy-stuff. And then we had fun shaping and baking and decorating and, of course, eating them.

By the time we were done with all that it was just about time to hit the town and take everyones candy. I don't know where the idea of going house to house asking for free candy came from....anyone know? I think it is kind of bizzar. I mean I absolutely LOVE halloween (it's one of my favorite holidays), but the whole candy thing? Where did that come from?

anyway...sorry more rambling. So the kids got dressed, I shot a few pic's while the sun was still out and then they hit our street before dinner. And I was surprise at how long it took them to do our one street. I think it took close to one hour!!! And then they got to help pass out candy while they ate (they love to pass out candy to other kids) and then they set off again when they had filled their bellies. Acadia started screaming bloody murder at one point after dinner because she thought that her sisters had taken off without her.... talk about a candyholic.

So. here are the girls in their costumes. You are probably tired of seeing these costumes. I know that I am starting to tire of them....I love them, but this is the 3rd day in a row where they have had to get into them.

Here is Ashlyn. She opted to be something that really surprised me. Usually she loves to be something scary or spooky so she can scare others, but this year she chose to be the Fairy Queen. When she told me what colors she wanted it to be I thought 'there's my Ashlyn.' She loves darker colors.

And Ella's costume was no surprise. It screamed ELLA. Ella the Fairy Princess (Ashlyn wouldn't let her say she was a fairy queen like herself)

And little Acadia, who I didn't give a choice to. I told her she was going to be a witch and it took her a little while to warm up to the idea. Especially when all the witches in all the movies we have are the bad guys. I think she wanted to be tinker bell because she tried to claim the fabric for my costume as her own. But hers turned out cuter then I was expecting....and she ended up loving being a witch.....especially with all the attention people gave her.

Hope everyone had a fun and safe halloween!

All it takes is faith and trust. Oh, and something I forgot....dust.

ok, are you done laughing at us yet? ;)

Hey, it's fun to dress-up for the annual Halloween party at my in-laws house....even if we look like dorks! yeah man!

I am thankful that I am not a blonde because that color sure looks scary on me!

Pink Elephants on Parade.

ok. maybe not pink elephants, but at least there was one pink fairy at the school parade today.

i am thankful for glue guns.

Halloween fun.

I am grateful for websites that show you how to make fun holiday foods.....even if mine don't look as good as theirs do. Can you guess what it is supposed to look like?

A day of tears

I am thankful for the many people who offered me their shoulder to cry on.

So much fun!!!

I am grateful that, even though it has been a year (I think) since my kids have seen some of these cousins, they can play as if they have never been apart.

traditioooonns. TRADITIONS!

I am grateful for yearly traditions.

I don't think that you can ever prepare yourself.

My Grandfather passed away today. I have been trying to prepare myself for the inevitable, but I don't think that you can ever truly be prepared for the feeling of loss that comes with it.

He was a great man.....and will be greatly missed.

The two men in this photo have been my heros for as long as I can remember. Both have left this world for better things. And after 2 years, now they have been reunited...father and son.

I dearly love them both and miss them so so much. But I am grateful and feel honored to have been blessed with such a wonderful dad and grandfather.