8 of 52 weeks

We spent Thanksgiving week at my mom's. I had hoped to come and post updates and check up on a few of my favorite families here but was unable to because she doesn't have internet at her house.

Anyway

Carin at Forever in Blue Jeans posted a 52 week challenge...





I failed at week 8 but by no choice of mine! This photo was actually taken on the right day. It was just unable to be posted until now.





No, we are not standing in front of a white, blank screen. That's her dining room wall! It was a lovely time but it's nice to be home.

(Week 9 is a few days late but will be up here really soon)

this post and I am lousy with photos

GENESIS 8:22

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

I appreciate the gift of the seasons that we have been given. This season always reminds me to slow life down, for the things that truly matter are ever-changing

{ ever growing }

and before I know it this season in my life will have passed.

The kids and I love visiting the pumpkin patch. It means, hot chocolate, lots of pumpkins with warts, dirty animals eating out of our hands and plenty of photo opportunities that are perfect in my mind but never turn out that way in the albums!

I knew it would be wise to get all of the photos taken when we first arrived but they wanna go go go so I take what I can get!

I was certainly pleased that no blood was spilled getting in or out of the wagon.

I was even more pleased that no one walked in front of the camera (or anywhere in the picture actually) for the 3 seconds that all the kids were smiling AND looking at me!!

And off they went.

First they fed the not at all soft, begging for food, otherwise not friendly g-o-a-t-s.

And then it was off into the corn maze which had riddles like this one throughout

My Sunshine and My Angel went into the haunted barn while I took Miss Thang for some pictures.

She loves Wizard of Oz so she was really excited to find this.

I figured I would take the boys back to this before leaving for a complete photo.

I also wanted to get a picture of them in the covered wagon. Simple enough, no?

{ NO }

OK... so I am not going to get a picture in the covered wagon. It was the end of the day and no one had napped. Besides, maybe I was being too picky. Maybe I should just get the one photo I wanted and be done.

So, off to the Wizard of Oz cutouts we went.

{ Not gonna happen this year! }

Not only does the hot chocolate around Miss Thang's mouth make her look like The Joker with his smile painted on...

but she's actually crying hysterically!

This [ gentleman? ] was our closing greeter.

I think he had a longer day than I did!

thanks mom, but no thanks

My mom lives 200 miles away from us.

While it's not very close I didn't think it was so far away that she no longer knows us.

A friend of hers has a boy who is a little older than My Sunshine & My Angel. For the last 5 years my mom has received hand-me-downs from her. We've been grateful that most of the clothes have fit during the "right" seasons.

Every once in a while though

there

are

sweat

pants.

Yeah, my kids haven't liked or even agreed to wear sweat pants in a couple years. Pretty much not since they realized that girls don't necessarily like boys who dress like, well slobs.

I don't spend much money on my clothes. I shop thrift stores for my stuff
[ most of the time ].
But, I do take the time and effort to look my best with such. I also appreciate when someone else does the same. This has obviously been impressed on my boys as well, so when Grandma sends these clothes and my boys tell me there is NO WAY they are going to wear them

what can I do?...

yup,

Take a picture!

Besides, ummmm, hello Mom, I think maybe these are a bit small.

they make me proud

We don't spend frivolously on birthdays and holiday presents. Not because I'm a single mom of four kids but because I have taught my children that celebrating, whether it be the birth of a sibling or a grandparent or a friend or Jesus, isn't about receiving presents. It's a time to celebrate, a time to be with family, a time to remember how blessed we are.

My kids aren't asked what they want for birthdays and Christmas, and if they are (by a grandparent who still doesn't understand) the answer is always "nothing" or "I don't know". They do open presents for Christmas, not many, although they always feel that they have received a lot. My Sunshine and My Angel look forward to brother or sister or Mom or Grandma opening the presents they bought  and now that they earn and spend their own money, I enjoy the surprise as well.

At this time of the year they start looking for more chores to earn some extra $$ money $$. I don't pay them for their daily jobs but when they take some load off of me I feel it is only fair.

Tonight they went out and delivered AVON catalogs and samples. My Sunshine likes helping so much he doesn't even want to be paid...he thinks it's fun to work! I have no desire to exploit that so I'll pay them, but man, I love that my kids are so generous!

meet my angel

When asked to write down things he wanted to share about himself, this is what he came up with...

My favorite color is green.

I received the Holy Ghost at camp (July 6th, 2009).

I have read over 1,000 books thus far (October 1, 2009).

I have a wild imagination.

I choose Chicago Cubs over the White Sox.

I act silly to the point that it drives my mother crazy (but my little sister and brother love it).

To me he is so much more...