Making promises...

I'm going to make ya'll a promise here.  NEXT WEEK, I PROMISE to blog and add pictures from our fun times camping this past weekend!  But this week is crazy busy for our family!!!

My parents will be celebrating 40 years of marriage in November.  We are having a party for them on Saturday with family and friends.  I'm "hostessing" but have SO much to do... SO SO SO much.  Procrastinating sounded like a good idea until we got home last night with all of our camping messes... Suddenly, not such a good idea! ;o)

So, this is it for the blogging this week.  I'll catch up with you all AFTER the party and the madness that this week has in store for us (my friend LA is coming to visit, halloween parties at school, harvest party at church, and the anniversary party.) 

And I do want you to know, I'm looking forward to every minute of this crazy week!!

Saturday Morning in Pajamas

At our house, we love the opportunity to have a slow and relaxed Saturday morning, especially when it is a chilly, autumn morning.  We've enjoyed playing, and relaxing while daddy is gone to task force training!  Here is a glimpse of our morning:

 Let me explain the "sad" face on this boy.  This is a genuine upset face.  Silas' beloved "blankie" was ripped when he and Avery were playing with it this morning.  He has been un-raveling this blanket for YEARS now, but the embroidery had been holding it together... until today.  Grandma Darlene is going to do repair surgery this afternoon, which was news that perked this poor little boy back up.  Silas is quite fond of his puppy and blankie! (Doesn't it look like puppy is trying to console him in the first picture???)

My Best Friends :)

Last night Melissa, Lyndsay, Shelley, and I went out to celebrate Melissa's engagement and Shelley's upcoming birthday.  What a blessing to have such wonderful friends.  These girls are practically my sisters.  We grew up together.  While Steve is my VERY best friend, these girls are next in line!  Thank you, girls, for your friendship for so many years now!  And Congratulations to Melissa, and Happy Birthday to Shelley!!!

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

—Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

The Verdict

Strep throat!!  Avery is the only one who has it.  We aren't sure why Nolan carried a fever for a couple of days.  His ears and throat looked great.  Avery, however was very sick.  Yesterday he was so fevered and lethargic.  But today, after 3 rounds of antibiotic, he's bouncing off of the walls!  Literally.  He's so happy to be feeling better.  He has done his school work from the last 2 days PLUS today's already.  He's ready to go back tomorrow.

I'm just so thankful to have him feeling better.  Nothing is harder than seeing your baby sick and miserable!!

Leaves and Fevers

So, the leaves and the fevers are in no way related... Last week, when we were all feeling GREAT, we spent one evening raking leaves in the back yard and playing in them.  The kids had a BLAST!

But this weekend our story changed a little.  Early in the morning on Sunday, Nolan woke with a fever.  He has acted like he feels "ok" but still has a fever off and on.  And then, early in the morning this morning, Avery woke with a fever too.  He says that his body aches.  Other than that, we have no other symptoms.  So, I'm alternating tylenol and ibuprofen for those two today.  Thankfully Silas and Chaille seem to be feeling ok so far.  As a matter of fact, Silas has been happily playing with Matthew, our neighbor, all morning:



Meanwhile, the other two are truly taking it easy this morning:



If he's anything like me...

I remember sayin' I don't care either way


Just as long as he or she is healthy I'm okay

Then the doctor pointed to the corner of the screen

And said, "You see that thing right there, well you know what that means"



I started wondering who he was going to be

And I thought heaven help us if he's anything like me



He'll probably climb a tree too tall and ride his bike too fast

End up every summer wearin' something in a cast

He's gonna throw a ball and break some glass in a window down the street



He's gonna get in trouble, oh he's gonna get in fights

I'm gonna lose my temper and some sleep

It's safe to say that I'm gonna get my payback if he's anything like me



I can see him right now, knees all skinned up

With a magnifying glass tryin' to melt the Tonka truck

Won't he be a sight with his football helmet on?

That'll be his first love 'til his first love comes along



He'll get his heart broke by the time he's in his teens

And heaven help him if he's anything like me



He'll probably stay out too late and drive his car too fast

Get a speeding ticket, he'll pay for mowing grass

He's gonna get caught skippin' class and be grounded for a week



He's gonna get into trouble, we're gonna get in fights

I'm gonna lose my temper and some sleep

It's safe to say that I'm gonna get my payback if he's anything like me



He's gonna love me and hate me along the way

Years are gonna fly by and I already dread the day



He's gonna hug his momma, he's gonna shake my hand

He's gonna act like he can't wait to leave

But as he drives out he'll cry his eyes out if he's anything like me

There's worst folks to be like, oh he'll be alright if he's anything like me


 

The sweetest thing

I listen to country music and christian music.  There are so many sweet daddy/child songs, particularly geared towards daddies and their little girls.  Every time I hear these sentimental "dad" songs, I think about how blessed our kids are to have a father who loves them the way that the songs portray.  He is an AWESOME father!  I always wondered what kind of relationship Steve would have with a daughter.  Now that Chaille is in our life, he's the father of a little girl that I would expect him to be AND MORE!!! 

Last night Steve was at the table with Nolan and Chaille and they were drawing.  Nolan wanted Steve to draw him a picture of a kite, and Steve gladly did.  Well, not to be outdone, Chaille pushed her paper over to Steve.  He then proceeded to draw this picture for her:

I have to admit, it grabbed me.  It took my breath away that he choose something so sweet and loving to draw.  And this is a picture that I'm SURE Chaille will treasure forever.  I know I will too!

Pictures!!!

I'm finally posting my own pictures! Yay!  There are pictures here from last week when the kids were just playing at home, and pictures from my dad's birthday dinner last Sunday with my parents and my brother's family.  Things have been VERY good lately, just very busy.  I feel like I do all that I can just to keep up with it all!  Enjoy the pictures:

Silas took a break from playing outside to serenade me with some music!  This picture captures him so well.  Silas and his boots...



Avery out playing in the dirt, like boys do... loading sticks and hauling them to...



...Nolan's "fire" that he was building! Now, that's just cute! :O)

He's so happy with himself!  And I just love to see them using their imagination!!

Daddy went to the Reds game and brought them back t-shirts.  They were SO excited and HAD to wear them right away!

Papaw Bobby had his birthday.  Chaille enjoyed a snack while waiting on his birthday lunch last Sunday.

Nolan worked in the fields!

Silas wasn't feeling too photogenic, but he was left no choice.  Mommy promised blog pictures!

Nolan tried to decorate at Grandma's house, but mommy made him take the corn stalk back to the field!  Mean ol mom!!!

Oriana spent more time upside down at Grandma's than she did right side up.  Chaille was trying so hard to tumble just like her.  This picture is adorable!!

I can't believe how BIG my Oreo is getting.  She and I are buds.  And I love it that she'll still cuddle up to me!

Chaille was rolling all over the floor doing her own version of gymnastics... or tumbling, really.

Cheese.  Such a happy girl!

Nolan doing his "homework."  He's very studious, even if he does just scribble for now.

Look how big our "baby" is getting.  She's changing daily!

The attempts at a picture of all 6 grandchildren were comical.... and numerous....

Cousins!  They were both LOVING this! :O)

Beautiful children...

I'm true to my promise... I HAVE been taking pictures yesterday and today!  But... Deb actually e-mailed me these great pictures of the kids from the parade they rode in last week!  So, enjoy our beautiful children for today, and I'll update with my pictures soon :O)