Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was so great this year. We were able to have our first Thanksgiving with my family in 6 years, and we even snuck in a second Thanksgiving meal with Mikes moms family the day after Thanskgiving (which I forgot my camera card...so I have no pictures of...)!

On Thanksgiving, we enjoyed good decor... Great food....

Good song....

Meaningful story....

Good company...

And heartfelt prayer....

For these things, we count our blessings.

Something Is Wrong With My Table

My kids keep falling asleep there!!!

The tree is done and the house almost is....just need to buy a few more lights to finish it off!

Sleepy Girl

I couldn't find Chezney and it was

getting waaaay past naptime...

So I went in search of her...

She was alseep.

Under the

table.

Long Overdue

I still haven't posted the kids school pictures so I thought I would try to fit that in!

New Decor

I decided to add a little fun to the kids bedroom (the three younger ones that sleep upstairs and share a room). I put some pictures on the wall....and I think it definately achieved the "fun" I was looking for...

Fall-tastic

Up Where?

OH! Up there.....!

Can You Tell She's 8?

It's a Brotherly Kind of Moment

Thinkin' About The Devil

Right now...
my son is sitting on the toilet crying. Why? Because he "can't stop thinking about the devil "and he "doesn't like it."
Hmmmm

Who Needs A Dog When You Have A Brother?

This morning, Ethan came running into the living room this morning full of excitement.
"Mom!!! Look what I taught Cohen how to do!!!"
He holds up a toy pistol and proceeds to "shoot" Cohen (NOT something we encourage- mind you). Cohen then continues to go completely limp and fall to the floor, where he remains still for at least 30 seconds.
Who said every boy needs a dog? Obviously, that boy didn't have a little brother to train!

Losing My Mind

Cohen was crying so I go into the kids bedroom.
I ask Ethan what happened. "Well...Chezney pushed him and he fell into the bed."
I ask Cohen, "Did Chezney push you?" Cohen replies, "No. Eat-an push me."
So I look at Ethan. "Ethan? Did you push your brother and then lie about it?"
Ethan replies "No! Cohen fell when Chezney pushed him."
I ask Chezney if she pushed Cohen.
Chezney says "Yes." with a smile.
Cohen says "Nu-uh! Eat-en push me"...still crying and holding his head.

So I act like I know exactly what I'm talking about and confront Ethan on the matter and warn him about lying. So...in tears, he explains "well...I'm losing my mind!" as an explanation of his lie. He went on to repeat that he is losing his mind quite a few times.
I have to say...in the midst of a great teaching moment...I just had to chuckle.

Halloween Pictures

This years Halloween was a little different...my cousin was getting married on the other side of the state and most of my family headed that direction, my mother-in-law doesn't celebrate Halloween, and my father-in-law was going to a Wenatchee Wild game...so we didn't have many places to go (normally we just visit families homes).
So we decided to brave the slight fevers (sorry to germaphobes everywhere...) and went to the mall to trick-or-treat. Then we headed to the church to partake in Light the Night and then went to a retirement home and went around a circle of elderly people. I think that was my favorite part. Even though we don't know any of them, they loved seeing the kids and the kids had their fill of cheek-pinching. Very cute!
Then we headed to my brothers house for one last stop and came home. I must say...we definitely got more candy than any other year!
Danissa was a "Lady". This also was her debut of her new glasses, which she is very proud of.
Cohen was supposed to be wearing a horse costume but last minute decided he wasn't having that and ended up being a cowboy (thank goodness for dress up clothes!)

Ethan was a knight...and a very active one at that!

And Chezney was a cowgirl...which would have been really cute with her horse, but it was also cute with her cowboy brother...

In this picture you can see how the older folks lined up in a circle and you just go person to person getting candy.

What Do I Know of Holy

Once again...I'm posting the lyrics with my new favorite song playing in the background...so turn on your speakers and take a minute....

I made you promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from heaven
But i talked the whole time
I think i made you too small
I never feared you at all, no
If you touched my face would i know you
Looked into my eyes could i behold you

What do i know of you
Who spoke me into motion
Where have i even stood
But the shore along your ocean
Are you fire, are you fury
Are you sacred, are you beautiful
What do i know, what do i know of holy

I guess i thought that i had figured you out
I knew all the stories and i learned to talk about
How you were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then i caught a glimpse of who you might be
The slightest hint of you brought me down to my knees

What do i know of you
Who spoke me into motion
Where have i even stood
But the shore along your ocean
Are you fire, are you fury
Are you sacred, are you beautiful
So what do i know, what do i know of holy

What do i know of holy
What do i know of wounds that will heal my shame
And a god who gave life it's name
What do i know of holy
Of the one who the angels praise
All creation knows your name
On earth and heaven above
What do i know of this love

What do i know of you
Who spoke me into motion
Where have i even stood
But the shore along your ocean
Are you fire, are you fury
Are you sacred, are you beautiful
What do i know, what do i know of holy
What do i know of holy
What do i know of holy

Backyard Boogie

Before the kids and I were sick, we were outside playing in the yard when I decided to take some silly pictures. Unfortunately, Danissa was nextdoor so I didn't get any pictures of her...

Photo Phriday.

Ciderworks

Once again...I have my Internet back!!!

So to continue where I left off, I'm going to have to add a lot of pictures and stories throughout the next few days! Here are the pictures I took when we visited Ciderworks to get our annual supply of Cider and Pumpkin flavored doughnuts and fresh squeezed Apple Cider. Yum!

Look Out Your Window

I am still computer-less at the moment but wanted to share this quick story:
One of the things that has passed down with me from my childhood to my parenting is the "look out your window" phrase. This is said when the kids are fighting in the car non-stop. This means that they have to stop talking, stop fighting, and just look out their windows quietly.
This morning, while getting ready to leave, Ethan and Cohen were playing "trains" together (a wooden train set). Cohen got irritated with Ethan for some reason and said "Ethan! Look out your WINDOW!!!". That just had me cracking up...as we were not in the car at all...but in the living room. Very funny.
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A small side note...family update type thing. Cohen, Chezney, myself, and then Ethan all have been sick over the past two weeks. I missed two weeks of work and school and we are finally on our way to being better!!! Just crossing my fingers that Danissa and daddy don't get it now!