Flu...

Yeah- we made it! All six kids have now had the flu, and I have not yet completely lost my mind! They managed to spread it out over about 4 weeks... so that's four long weeks of having someone home sick. Aaaahhhh...

However, we're on our way out- I think I can see the sun again! Of course, the actual sun is now gone from our local skies, but the joy of seeing these last fevers subside is causing great happiness in my heart! We're hours away from the last one being fever free for 24 hours... ah, that beautiful, beautiful moment that means you can go out into the world again... At this point in my isolation, I truly do hear angels singing and see a bright light shining down when the thermometer beeps that last time and I cautiously peek at the fateful numbers there... will it be? Is freedom returning? YES!!!! No fever! The heavens break forth in song and the clouds part. It's possible this is just happening in my mind... but if there's a break in the clouds today about 4 pm, then you'll know the whole world is rejoicing with me! :-)

Other than being absolutely miserable for a few days, they all made it through without complications, although we did get Tamiflu for Maria and Max because of their underlying respiratory issues.

Come on 4 pm...

Thankfulness Wreath

We did a fun little family project one night this week to help us focus on thankfulness during this season. I picked up a cheap grapevine wreath and ribbon, and cut out little tags from a brown paper bag and a few scraps of green scrapbook paper. We all took turns writing things we are thankful for on the paper and then tied them to the wreath with sage and brown shear ribbons.

We enjoyed thinking together of big and small things we are thankful for, and it was a quick enough project that it held everyone's attention! Good things! :-)

Halloween Dinner

Our family enjoyed our annual Halloween dinner out last night. We had a great time at the Olive Garden, despite the shock induced when Kyler noticed that Beth was no longer eligible for the kids' menu. What? How did that happen?
We enjoyed our dinner together very much, and Aaron and I particularly enjoyed the fact that the kids are now old enough and well-mannered enough that the two of us can sit together at one end of the table and enjoy a bit of conversation ourselves, instead of needing to be dispersed among the masses for crowd control! :-)


After we were all thoroughly stuffed from our yummy dinner, we loaded back up in the van and drove to Cold Stone to finish off our night with ice cream! This is where it really becomes apparent that everyone's tastes are certainly different....

vanilla bean with Heath Bar...
peanut butter delight...
chocolate with sprinkles and white chocolate chips...
cotton candy with chocolate chips and sprinkles...
Country Time pink lemonade with Reese's peanut butter cups and Snickers... (wow, that one still gets me!)
vanilla bean with chocolate chips and sprinkles...

We all loved it!

You, too, can have hours of fun

All you need is stainless steel pot on the counter...

Pumpkins

Aaron had fun carving pumpkins with the kids last weekend. They love scooping out the seeds and have been talking for weeks about looking forward to roasted pumpkin seeds in their lunches.

Beth thought that the hole on the top of her pumpkin was big enough for her head.

Not quite!

Kid designed pumpkin faces aglow...

Fun with friends

We had so much fun last night with some dear friends from high school! Camille moved to England after high school, and hasn't been back to our area for 7 years. Amy and Pam are close by, but we still don't get together often enough. What a joy it was to spend time together, laugh, tell stories and laugh some more, all while enjoying great food, the first pumpkin pie of the season, and listening to our kids run around and have a blast playing.

Heather, Amy, Pam and Camille

... we took some other very fun pictures last night, but unfortunately not on my camera. If I get copies of those, I'll have to be sure and update with the pics with more "personality..." :-)

After 9 years....

...MY STOCKING IS COMPLETE!!!!
I started making our Christmas stockings back in 2000 when Kyler was born. The following year I completed Aaron's stocking, with the intent that mine would be next. I dreamed of those three little matching Christmas stockings hanging from the mantle....

Well, you all know how the next few years went, and I was crazy making stockings for each of the kids. So, the line of stockings on the mantle grew each year, still with one mismatched stocking on the end. "Next year it will be done, next year....."

That year has finally come! :-)