First Snow

Yup, you read that right. Yesterday morning we had our first snow. The kids and I were terribly excited! I always love the newly coming seasons. If only winter didn't overstay it's welcome here... Well, football and cheer is over and we're settling in for a long winter's nap. I'm just as in the Christmas mood as I can get. I'm already deciding when would be just TOO early to put up the Christmas tree. I've ruled out October, but at this time anything in November is fair game. I need to get it up so I have somewhere to put all the gifts I've already bought!!
I also got to watch Cash for a couple hours while Katie went to the Dr and we had all kinds of fun. I SO enjoy having him, he reminds me SO MUCH of Liam when he was that age. My goodness they are two peas in a pod. He told me " I wide it I wide it...Yeehaw, yeehaw".

Dadgummit, he's a cutie!!

Sam was home sick again yesterday. I honestly don't think he was sick, I think he was over tired. He hardly slept at all Sunday night. We had a windstorm come through and he ended up on the couch. He said it was too loud. Anyway, he was much better today and spent the day yesterday working on stuff his teachers emailed to me. Have I mentioned that I love email!! I'm pretty sure it has lifted teacher/parent communication to a new level!! Poor Sam, he thought he'd have the day off. But NO!!

Liam and Maggie are doing well. They both aced their spelling tests Friday and Maggie had a sleepover with Darcie. She had loads of fun and did much better than I thought she would. I half expected to get a phone call at 11pm that she wanted to come home. She made it all night though!

The kids are all really looking forward to having Mom and James home this weekend and trick or treat at Uncle Bob's house Friday. I'll be sure to post pics.

Happy Halloween All!!!

Sam is wearing contacts!!

Well, our big news this week is that Sam is wearing contact lenses now!! He got them on Tuesday. We were at the eye dr. for almost 2 hours. He had a lot of trouble learning to get them in and out. Yesterday, after 15 minutes of poking himself in the eye and many tears, I was a bad mommy and took pity on him and I put them in for him. This morning was much harder...I told him I could NOT keep putting them in for him and if he wanted to wear them to school he HAD to get them in himself.

He managed to get them in in less than 15 minutes today!! YEAH! I know he doesn't look any different really, maybe just a little less squinting. But, hey, he can SEE! Which means in the end, he won and wore us down. It's only been 10 months since his last eye appt and new glasses. But, for months he's flatly refused to wear his glasses. At first, I fought him. I didn't have the heart to when he started middle school though. If they bothered him SO much that he'd rather be blind than wear them, then I guess he wins.

I'm also including a pic of Blake at his birthday party Saturday for all of you in NC. Love you all!!!

Off the Cuff...

Just feeling like a little stream of conciousness...how many of you remember what that means!?! Ha, I did learn something in high school! I've been watching my little voting poll and think it's FUNNY that with Obama kicking our poor republican butts in the polls on tv...McCain is winning here. I'm pretty sure that tells anyone who's reading this that I was raised in a republican family! I rebelled right up until Bill Clinton got caught with his pants down. Do all of you remember how EMBARASSING it was to be a democrat then? All of us who had boasted about what a great president he was, what a great job he was doing, blah, blah, blah, all went a little red in the face. I guess he just blew under the pressure (giggle). Anyway, that shut me up, but didn't change me over. I think the big change came when I got saved...my values changed so much so suddenly. I QUICKLY became a whole lot more CONSERVATIVE. Which is NOT to say I always agree with the republicans...I DON'T!!!! I'm still a tree hugger and anyone who poo-poo's global warning and the evironmental crisis our world is in is a complete moron to me. That being said on the whole I think Obama is a little scary! Truly, his heritage (NO, not the african american part - the Hawaiian birth certificate question) makes me pause a little bit. Not to mention that the last time we had a president this, dare I say CHARISMATIC, look what happened. And goodness, let's be honest, if the MAN actually turns out to be of muslim heritage the joke is on us! Isn't it? I personally will be voting for McCain. Not because I'm a republican. Not even because I like McCain. He's certainly not a bad guy, but he hasn't impressed me. But because I just have a real bad feeling about Obama. I'm not trying to sway anyone, I think everyone should go out and vote the way they think is best, but there's just something about "that one" that unsettles me. I believe he's going to win...and I believe when his true colors come through I will tell everyone I TOLD YOU SO!!!!!!! Roll your eyes and laugh if you want to, I know many have said this same thing and been told their losing it, but after seeing all the birth certificate questions...I have NOT ruled out that Barack Obama is the anti-christ, or at least AN anti-Christ! Go ahead...barrage me with arguments. I'll enjoy it!! Love you all!!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!!

Today, I am going with Katie to Jeffersonville. As of 6:21am on Monday October 20th Jon and I have the "major" Christmas gifts bought and paid for. My plan today is to buy for nieces, Mom, Carolina, Kay, Anne and possibly teachers. I've started shopping for Christmas this early before, just never so aggressively. I have to say it's awesome. I don't think I've ever been quite so excited for Christmas quite this early in the year before. Jon and I talked about if for awhile last night and it's AMAZING how lighthearted we feel about it. I never realized until yesterday just how STRESSFUL giftgiving makes Christmas. I don't think it should be like that. It's such a paradox...I understand the desire to GIVE when we are celebrating the GREATEST Gift ever given. How it must grieve God to see us scurry about scared and nervous and stressed and in debt in a mockery of homage. On the other hand... minus the stress I'm having a marvelous gift giving experience this year. I think maybe this is how it should be. Maybe part of the problem is the need to impress with gifts rather than show love and appreciation. This year we will not IMPRESS you with our gifts, we will not spend more than we have, we will not LOSE OUR FOCUS ON THE ONE TRUE GIFT that we are celebrating!! We're going to get all this shopping done early (with every effort to choose gifts that will show you all that we love and appreciate you) then we will spend the month of December as a family growing in Christ and thankful for the Gift of salvation that we can mimic with our gifts but never duplicate!! May the Christmas Season officially begin...Happy shopping everyone!

Our Week

Happy Belated Birthday Blake!!

Hello all! Just thought I'd update you on our week.

Me - Not a whole lot going on. I officially began Christmas shopping yesterday. It really put me in the mood. On the one hand I HATE how "gimme" Christmas is, on the other I LOVE buying gifts for people. The first official gift of the 2008 Christmas season was for Sam this year. I'm not really sure when the crossover occurs, because let's be honest...kids don't get the whole "better to give than recieve" concept. At some point in your life it magically becomes true and the rush you get opening a gift no longer holds a candle to the rush you get buying something for someone that you know they will LOVE!! The good news is that this feeling really draws out the Christmas season, at least for me. As a child Christmas summed up in 10 minutes of ripping shredding madness and the let down was terrible. Now, I have months of glee. Jon and I have been trying the last few years to find ways to refocus the kids at Christmas and I think this year we'll try a little harder. I don't want to take any of their joy, I want to add to it. I believe that focusing a little more on the biggest gift of Christmas will do that! I shudder to think where our lives would be without Jesus!

Jon - My dutiful husband is a busy bee this morning. He has been really industrious while I'm loafing on the computer this morning. He's sealing our windows and cleaning ceiling fan blades. I should be ashamed and motivated...but I'm not :)! He has to do chains at Liam's game today and I'll be sure to post pics of him. The poor thing got assigned to what promises to be the COLDEST game of the season. It's only 43 degrees outside right now and it's a bit breezy too. He also dug through his drawers this morning and located his longjohns!

Sam - He's brought his F in math up to a D. No, Mom is still not satisfied and he is still grounded from his gaming systems. I really wish he'd fix this...what he doesn't realize is that I'm being tortured by his punishment too. He bugs and whines and drives me CRAZY!!

Liam - Oh yeah baby! Liam got another 100 on his spelling test yesterday. It's hard work but worth it when he calls me at work on Friday afternoon and tells me his grade! When I got home yesterday we took him to a birthday party. They had lots of fun and even set off fireworks! He really enjoyed it.

Maggie - She got a 100 on her spelling test too. Which was a little harder for her because she had a review test which has more words to remember. Last night she read me 4 books and was ready to continue, but I begged off. I asked her if we had to read all her school books at one time and she said "But mommy, our classroom goal is to be strong readers". I could only laugh. Trust me, she's already a strong reader.

Ok - I guess it's time to get ready to go now. We have Liam's game at noon (so he has to be there at 11:15), then Maggie's cheer game at 2pm. We'll be leaving her game a little early for Blake's 4th birthday party!

Happy 4th Birthday Blake!!!!!