One roll of painters tape: 2 dollars

A whole day of fun creating a town for cars: Priceless

We're a team

After having the bump on Luke's nose removed, I am supposed to keep Vaseline on it. It's not easy to keep him from wiping it off. It really needs a bandaid on it at all times. Luke doesn't really like it, so everybody pitched in and wore one just to keep Luke from ripping his off :)

Fun day with cousin Zach

My nephew Zach came over last weekend while his sister had a tea-party with her girlfriends. It was a gorgeous day! We even got to watch the combine harvester gather the soybeans from the field behind our house!

Lily woke up with Cindy-Lou-Who hair!

Zhu Zhu Pets

Supposedly these toys were all the rage last year. They are little hamsters that move around and "battle" each other. My kids just got into them and it's perfect timing because they are all on sale for $3! They had some money saved up so now they each have a couple. Santa might bring some of the accessories ;) It's been really sweet to watch them all play with them together. It's not easy to find an activity that interests babies all the way up to almost 8 year olds, but these things are so cute! I just loved watching them all huddled around together, cheering their pets on and laughing!

A little Thanksgiving decoration project

There's a new sheriff in town...

This kid trips me out sometimes! Check out this get-up...

That's a coffee filter in his left hand ;)

Precious dirlie...

RECESS!!!

We enjoyed an afternoon at the park last week with Shannon and her kids. It was a beautiful fall day. My gang took up all the swings... my cup runeth over :)

A few weekends ago, Anne watched the kids so Justin & I could go on a lunch date in between his trips out of town. We decided to go to Barnes & Noble and have coffee. I saw this book and had to read it. It's very cute and clever. And so true! We had a good laugh, but it did make me think. We are so "plugged in" as a society. The new advances in technology are neat, I won't lie. I would love to own a laptop, and iPad, a smartphone... but there is beauty in simplicity. I don't want an iPad reading my child their bedtime story. I want to do it. I want them to play more board games and card games than video games. My kids don't own any handheld video games or a lot of the other fancy stuff they have out there for kids, and I hope they don't grow up resenting me for that. We can't afford it, but like so many other things, sometimes you have to be forced into a situation to be able to see the beauty of it. Fancy things aren't bad. I want them! But I am thankful for the kind of life that is not too focused on those things. If you're not careful, I think they can blind you from the real important stuff. ...Anyway, that's my shpeel. Check out this cute book next time you're at the book store :)

Isaiah's Soccer Party at YoZone

It turns out Luke did not have a hemangioma like Lily. His is a different kind of vascular growth. Lily's is part of her genetic makeup, Luke's came about later and is considered a growth. We had a doctor's appt. today with a dermatologist. I was expecting them to shine a laser at it and maybe have to come in for a follow up. Nope. They had to give him a shot in his nose, then CUT it off, and then burn it with a cauterizing tool..... I am still gathering myself together after that experience. Then, they told me they have to biopsy it. I don't know about you, but I think the word "biopsy" should somehow be spelled with four letters, because that's the kind of word it is to me. But I am sure it is nothing. Luke is a happy, healthy, vivacious little boy. They said there will be some scarring, and the potential for it to grow back. I am just thankful that our little bumps in the road are as simple as this. Luke is my child who can have me ready to strangle his neck, and then kiss all over his precious face in a split second. Justin and I talk about how we love his steadfastness. Most times, it's more of stubborness, or disobedience, but in the long run, I believe he will be a strong, in-it-for-the-long-run kind of guy. He doesn't give up. He gets that from his daddy :)

Our perfectly classy-redneck family friday night

We started off with a little paintball target practice (at the shed ;)

No, I'm not pregnant again... launch operation lose 20 pounds... :(
Finished the evening with precious moments by the fire...

Inspired by the wigwam...

The boys and I studied about the Separatists, becoming the Pilgrims, meeting the "Indians", becoming the Colonists, and some of the details in between. They were very interested in learning the different ways the Native Americans built their homes. Basically four different ways, depending on climate. The wigwam was probably their favorite. After we finished our studies, they rushed outside, clearly inspired, to build their own! It was a fun day :)

Luke's hemangioma

Eeew, right? I know it's a gross picture. Kind of looks like the scene of a homicide... No, this is in fact what I wake up to just about everyday lately. Luke developed a hemangioma on his nose. It just looks like a red bump, a little larger than a pimple. Lily has one on her chest, about the size of a dime, and hte doctors say that it can go away on it's own, so we are just waiting with hers. They said they don't try to remove them because they just bleed and bleed. Yup. They're not kidding. Luke's tiny little hemangioma makes a mighty mess!!! While Justin has been traveling, Luke sleeps in my bed. This is the most recent mess... Can't wait for our appt. with the dermatologist on the 16th!!!

How cute is he?!?!

1st Annual Forbis Smashing of the Pumpkins

Boys like to be boys :) They were looking for something to do outside. They needed an adventure, I could smell it. ;) So I got some hammers and let them go to town!

Meanwhile, Lily looked at dandelions...

Most days, I ask the boys to get dressed before we start school. I confess, sometimes we take advantage of the casual nature of our environment and just stay in our PJ's for a while, but I do my best to create order... within the chaos!!! So the other morning I set the timer and told the boys that when it went off I wanted them dressed and at the table. Gabe came to the table in a Polo sweater-vest that my Grandmother gave him last year! This is the same child who puts on collared shirts, BY HIS OWN CHOICE!!! (and wears the collar UP) Isaiah, on the other hand, wears camo and skeletons. Earlier in my parenting days, letting Isaiah have freedom to dress himself stressed me out. It bothered me when stuff didn't match, etc. NOW, I love it!!! The crazy combinations they choose show their individual personality and it's just fun to watch :)

Poop

Justin has been traveling a lot. A lot. I've sort of gotten used to it now, but we're just in a busy "season" as far as our kids ages are concerned. There's never a dull moment. I have so much to blog about but not enough time! Sometimes I find myself in a pity party, overwhelmed with the chaos. But then, I have a moment of clarity, and realize that these four little ones are God's miracles, entrusted into my care, to raise them and love them... it doesn't take long to get my head on straight and just want to gobble them up! Last week, while Justin was out of town, it was BUSY around here!!! Woowee! I like to share the "fun" stuff with Justin through email, so I captured these moments on camera... (these are two separate nights, just so you know...)