The Gingerbread men!

Bumpa's first to-do with the little man and they did a great job!!

Bumpa's birthday surprise is complete!

T wanted to make Bumpa a plate that he could use to eat his dinner on... 

and think of him

Such a great idea Tristan and I love the airplane!!!

Bumpa will love it!!

And he arrived today and we had the great surprise!

Happy belated birthday!!!

Steiners... they're baaaaaack

Well, thankfully God healed me of whatever dreaded illness I have so Deb and her crew were able to come over!!

Simba was QUITE happy to see Aunt Deb...

And while the kids didn't remember us (or each other)

they warmed right up and smiled for pics!

We decided to do a bestie selfie... and then the creeper jumped in

Where's Waldo?

We DIED laughing...

These two slowly remembered each other...

and fell right back into being buddies again

and this cuteness!  But if you knew her beautiful heart!!!!

Then Seth... well Seth found the water guns and Leah just laughed and laughed...

LOTS OF WATER

and a few soaked kids!

These two cards...

watching Mr. Innocent! SUUUUUURE

Then the little joined in...

and she was QUITE serious about the task at hand!

Dinner time!  The laughs at that table were priceless.

Holtie, you were hysterical with those kids!!!

Then Leah Grace wrote that she was thankful for seeing ME!!

T and Z picked food...

Seth picked video games

and Steiner chose Holt... because did you hear me say how awesome he was with those kids!?!?!?!?

I picked the kids, because I loved having them there!

then ... once again... my bestie fills me love tank

Wish they were closer... but I'm thankful for the time I had.

MISS. THEM. ALREADY!

Hard decisions I pray you never notice

Tristan,

Daddy and I have some hard decisions to make about where to go to school, what help we get you for reading and for your dyslexia ... and I pray you never realize they were hard and expensive.

When I was little, I never knew we didn't have a lot of money.  I had everything I ever needed and wanted.  But what I didn't know was the sacrifice that was behind it.  I never felt 'poor', EVER... I mean I knew others had boats, cars and took big vacations but I don't ever recall feeling sad that I didn't have the same... because, well... I was always doing something that mattered.  With my family or friends. Always.

I didn't realize that my parents scrimped and saved to give me new clothes and shoes.  I didn't think about all the money they paid for my sports gear and equipment.

Not once did it cross my mind what all those birthday and Christmas presents costs.

I guess that's good... that's not a child's burden.

So I hope you never feel how much it cost us to send you to a private school and get you help. I hope you never feel bad or guilty for the things we don't do for ourselves so we can do for you.  I hope you never know how many close calls I had with my boss for leaving work just five minutes early to make a game or get you to practice on time...

but...

I hope you always, always appreciate that somewhere, there WAS sacrifice.  There is always the choice of do I do this for myself or do I invest in the future, well-being or desires for my son.

I will always choose you over myself just as my parents did for me.  Always.  That's LOVE.

And, my prayer is... that you can be wise enough to know that... and... be thankful.

Let's go on with the true holidays!!

I love November... cooler weather, comfort food and fireplaces. AAAAAAH Fall!!

I also love it because it's when I try and get really intentional about being thankful. 

So, today is Day 1 of the Thanksgiving Tree and we were lucky enough to have Grammy here to participate!

30 days of being thankful.. who knows, maybe it will help get us into a habit of DAILY thanking the Lord for all we have instead of complaining about what we don't!!

Brownies for Daddy

Best looking brownie makers I''ve ever seen!

Bet Daddy is excited for his treat!!

A Halloween weekend for the record books...

Well, we started out with a sprained finger on Friday.  I thought it was broken and tried to get a stinkin'  x-ray buuuuuuuuuuuuut of course, the machine was broken.

Not much we can do anyway, soooo, upwards and onwards.

Saturday T went to a friend's birthday and then home to change for Halloween.

Tristan is Hawkeye (and Avenger) and I was Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games.

Daddy was good Ole Abe

Kimye was going to hold down the fort at home

Grammy, T and I, went out early to see Bebah and Grandpa but before that stop... we stopped to see Mimi and Daddy Howard.  Sadly, their dog bit Tristan in the face.  Yes, in the FACE.  Blood....everywhere.   His mouth was covered and he has rubbed his face so it looked MUCH worse than it was but my baby was in pain and so scared.

It's a rescue dog - she was constantly growling but after time warmed up to me.  Tristan bent down (I should have been watching more carefully) and she bit him.  It was horrible.

I really though Halloween was over.  We got in the car, he was bawling and asking me to hold him but I couldn't - I had to drive.  HORRIBLE.

We came home, had a few popsicles and once he calmed down he decided he wanted to go Trick-or-Treating at the Jones'.

Whew!

Abe didn't fare well....

and they hung out with a bunch of bones...

Here's the whole gang...

We came home early, I was emotionally spent from this weekend.  

Then - event #3... I'm 1/2 way home and I get a random call.

"Hi, Um, I think I have your dog.  He has been laying in the middle of the street" 

UM - WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?

Our back door doesn't close so Aslan got out and then Holt forgot to shut the gate.  He is in the middle of the road.  On HALLOWEEN... just sitting there.  Thankfully this family helped us and stayed with As until Jim could come down here and put Aslan back in the house.

I thought it was Simba (they said the red dog) and last time he got out - he ripped every pad of his feet and it cost me $800.  Oh. My. Gosh.  

Aslan and Simba were inside and safe.  T passed out and Grandma and I had a MUCH needed (LARGE) glass of wine!

As I said... one for the record books!!!!