Picture Obsession

Mpix.com

If you are looking for some professionally printed photos or products this is my new favorite place. The prices are unreal and the quality amazing. I have been so pleased with everything from enlargements, to packaging, to photo magnets...and things arrive within 4 days and are the cheapest I have found.

Try it out! Thanks Mariah for the tip.

Trick or Treat

Tonight is "Beggar's Night" in Waukee. Yep, goofiest thing I have EVER heard of. The city assigns what night they choose for "Beggar's Night" depending on the day Halloween falls. It is goofy and I don't like it one bit. I also don't love the tradition of the kids "telling jokes" instead of just saying "Trick or Treat"...I like traditional. I like how it was when I grew up in Minnesota. Very basic. But enough on that...when in Rome do as the Romans do. Or in our case...when in Waukee...

It was Beggar's night. Jack and Max were thrilled. (Jack more so than Max) The big boys went with Dad to Minnesota today to catch the Buckeyes playing the Gophers with Poppy. It wasn't a tough decision for them. It wasn't a tough decision for Jack either, he wanted to wear his cool star wars costume and get candy. So the family is split up for today...

Jack was Clone Commander Captain Rex. I believe that is the proper terminology. Jack is quite specific about it. He has had the costume since August, and it was already pretty worn out for tonight, but he didn't care one bit. I have come a LONG ways my friends...last year I could barely allow Luke in his Jet Fighter costume with a lightsaber.(if you click on that link, you will see he made a construction paper Captain Rex last year)..and now this with a blaster. (take note I made Jack buy the blaster with his own money)

Max was the cutest little lion you ever saw. He borrowed his costume from good friends of ours. Thanks Lors'! It was pretty funny when he first put it on, he couldn't figure out how to balance or crawl in it. But then caught on and didn't seem to mind it one bit. It was so cute on him.

The boys were pretty cute together...so excited...

We invited Miss Emily and Ross to come over for pizza before, Jack O Lantern Pizza of course. Then they took Jack around the neighborhood while Max and I manned the front door.

Max and our neighbor Henry (13 mo), both lions, both tired lions

The boys are having fun at the game, we miss having them home for this special occasion, but we understand.

So Trick or Treat, tell a joke, Go Buckeyes, Go beggars night, roar lions...you name it...we say it tonight.

Max and friends

Love this little boy and this little tee...

Max had his friends over this morning, and their big sisters and Mommy's. The kiddos had fun, it has gotten a bit busier with them all now crawling around. Some faster than others.

super cute...

This was taken in May (Andrew, Gracelyn, Max)

Born in February, December and January

This was today (Max, Gracelyn, Andrew)

This was them playing

Max teaching Andrew about the Central Vac outlets

Because I love our boys...

Because I love our boys, and they love this tradition, and they don't mind the chaos, or the crowds, or the late school night, and ONLY because I am trying to remember to live each day to its fullest and be thankful in it ALL...I endured the annual Great Pumpkin Party at church tonight, with Scott out of town.

I do love them so very much...

Alice

Sweet Alice...she was a riot this weekend. She LOVED being with baby Max. LOVED playing with him and just being near him. She cracks us up. She MORE than holds her own with all of these boys. They ALL answer to her. It is the funniest thing. She takes no guff from any of them and shows them who is boss, but in her own sweet and funny way.

She sat at the piano and sang "twinkle twinkle" with me and "If you're happy and you know it". So cute. Just had to share this picture from this morning, before they left. Captures her current smile and her CHHHEEEESSSEEE.

One weekend in the fall

Charlie and Alice are here this weekend, my big brother Mike too. (Cara is in AZ celebrating a "BIG" bday coming up in December, with other girlfriends)

Last night...

...they harvested. The annual "Governor's Harvest" in Story City. Named after Jack. He goes every year and just LOVES it. Thanks to one of Scott's customers, and friends. Alice and Charlie had never been on a combine or in a tractor. HUGE highlight for them!

today...

We played in the pretty morning sunshine...

We watched Drew play his last football game of the season in the 78 degree weather...

Drew at center...

Scott even captured the fans in the stands. My good friend Lynn and her husband Ron, were there an hour early for their sons' game. So they sat with us, which was fun too.

Drew and one of his lifelong friends, Matt, been friends since they were 4 months old.

We played at home the rest of the day

We love having our cousins come to visit. The kids were ALL beat by the end of the day, worn out from the running, laughing and playing. They get along so well. And it's fun to have my brother here too, love him.

Every little girl should have...

Every little girl should have a Dad who sends notes like this to her...after reading the previous blog post. I consider myself blessed to be this little girl, even if I am 38 years old. (Dad I hope you don't mind me sharing your sweet note)

Susan,

Beautiful and well-done.

I hope that I ALWAYS sparkle for you. You ARE a wonderful daughter, wife, Mother, sister and You do light up my life!!

I love you

xoxoxo

Dad

Do I sparkle?

When my kids enter the room, do I sparkle at the sight of them? Do my eyes light up? Do they feel I am happy to see them? How about with my husband?

I watched Oprah last night...recorded it since one of my childhood favorites, Debby Boone was going to be on and my Dad and I have a "song", it's hers..."You light up my life". Debby was talking about how her mother in law, (her children's Grandma) would sparkle as the grandkids entered the room. Her comment to Oprah was this, "After all isn't that really what kids want from us? To feel important, adored and for us to SPARKLE when we see them"

That made me think. Far too often for me, my kids hop in the car and I'm on a mission to haul them to their next location like a taxi driver. Or they walk in the door and I am pre-occupied making dinner, checking email, doing laundry that I hardly look up to greet them. Scott walks in the door and I kiss him, but do I even look at him? Sometimes I have to ask him if I kissed him yet? Pre-occupied wife I am.

I want to sparkle. I want our boys to feel that love from me when I see them and I want my husband to feel that too.

Jack's Commercial

Jack is in it twice...look for the blue checked shirt and khaki pants :)

It aired last night during "Dancing with the Stars" 1 hr 26 minutes in. Think it runs all fall on abc, cbs and nbc locally in Iowa.

He is pretty excited about it! (on at 10-12 seconds and 14-19 opening the door)

Look at me...

Max is getting busier and busier by the second. Today this is what I found him doing...

He grabbed the paper off the table as I went to answer the phone during lunch

He crawled, more of froggy hopped, to Jack's backpack after school. His "crawl" is pretty cute. He gets up on his toes, then lifts his legs up and kind of HOPS forward, then flops on his tummy, then pushes back up on his toes. Every once in a while he does a few traditional crawling moves, but for the most part it's a frog or bunny hop. It's fun to watch. He isn't real fast YET but he can get wherever he wants to go.

Hopped and wormed his way to his high chair to try to pull himself up

Max took his first bath in the BIG tub alone. L-O-V-E-D it. splashed and splashed and smiled and smiled then splashed some more.

Busy days for our sweet baby boy.

A beautiful Saturday

Today was another beautiful fall day, it was a cool morning then warmed up quickly. Our day started with Poppy making his famous "little rolls" and then we headed out to a new spot, the Center Grove Orchard. We had several friends go and say it was a must do so we thought we would give it a try, a pumpkin patch and an apple orchard all in one.

We did a little bit of everything there, goat feeding, corn pool, apple eating, hayrack riding, corn maze running, feed bunk eating...it was a great time. We will definitely go back there. I am so glad we went early in the morning, I couldn't BELIEVE the amount of people there by the time we left. PACKED

The boys headed to play 9 holes of golf after that, the girls and Max headed home for a little nap-time. I finally got the basement picked up and organized the way I like with the help of Mom with Max. Grandma and Max went for a long walk and pushed Max in the swing...don't you think he would sleep well tonight? He was outside almost ALL day long. hmm we will see.

We had a yummy chili dinner that had been cooking in the crock pot most of the day, watched some football...had a disappointing loss for the Buckeyes but putting it all into perspective, not such a big deal.

A blessed day with family enjoying this beautiful fall we are having.