Family Day...

With business booming... we have very little time to spend with our kids. Yesterday we found ourselves with a "free day." The first one we have had since our Florida vacation way back in June. Ethan had won two free tickets to Holiday World at the end of the last school year through the over-achievers program, so we decided it was time to use them or lose them.

It turned out to be a fantastic day. No stress, very laid back, kids were perfect - and I am not just saying that... They were absolutely perfect. I think we were just all so glad to be out enjoying the beautiful day together, everyone was in an extra good mood. The parking lot was less than half full all day, so it was great time to go. Most we waited to ride anything was 3 or 4 minutes. Guess that's why Ethan and Alex rode the Voyage, Legend and Raven 22 times!

It was a blessed day... and we are SO SO Thankful we had the time together! Enjoy the pics!

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Picture day...

Who doesn't remember picture day at school...

I can remember standing in line in the multipurpose room...holding that government issued little black comb... waiting for my turn to sit on that little stool...so I could turn my head in some awkward postition while saying "pickle"... all the while trying really hard not get teary eyed or blink at the 10,000 watt flash about to go off in my face. I did not like picture day...and my pictures were usually crappy.

Today my boys will go through this familiar ritual. I didn't have to do much to prepare them this morning. They are old enough to pick their own outfit. And even though they complained a lot about having to "look nice," they both looked great when they left. I basically just did the hair check...added a little gel... and wrote two checks for way too much money.

These days you can "pick your pose," all of which the boys thought were "stupid looking"... you can pick your color background (although that will cost you $4 extra)...and you have about 250 package options to choose from, along with the add-ons which are also way to expensive. The whole form gave me a headache.

Although it can be a pain, I guess it's all worth it when they bring the pictures home and you compare to last year and see the changes. I am really thankful to have them.

Here are a couple of my favorites...

Ethan 2nd grade 2001


Austin 1st grade 2003

Profound Moments...

Sometimes we have them and there is no mistaking it...

This morning I was thinking about people I know who are grieving... fresh grief, grief that has settled in, and long-standing grief...the kind you never fully get over.

I thought about dark times in our lives. We all have them and they are all significant in shaping us. Sometimes we go through valleys that are so deep, it is hard to believe we could ever come out on the other side.

I thought about times like these in my own life and the people who were instrumental in helping me through. I thought about times like these in the lives of those I love and how helpless I felt in trying to help them. At that moment... this song came on. How profound! It was God speaking and giving me insight and importance to what had been laid on my heart this morning.

Play the song on my playlist "Carry You to Jesus"...Take a quiet moment... and just listen...

When we are faced with someone...anyone... who is hurting or grieving,... the best thing we can do, the most important thing we can do...is carry them to Jesus.

Let there be Light!....

and tv...and internet...and microwave...and hot water...

I learned this past week I could never survive as an amish.

All the drama of the past week did distract me from the fact that my birthday was approaching... today it has arrived.

A big topic of conversation at my lunch with Evan yesterday was whether or not my blog name would change to "finding myself at 41" He said yes... I said no. He said he would leave me daily comments reminding me that I am no longer 40 so the name no longer applies... I said when I used the term "40" I was referring to the forties in general, not just one specifc year... You can see this made for facinating conversation over chicken alfredo... I love you Ev!

Another facinating conversation took place last night via text messaging. It went something like this...
kent to me "Happy Birthday Queer"
me to Kent "It's tomorrow Queer"
Kent to me "I knew that...I just wanted to be the first to say it"
Me to Kent "Whatever"
It is heartwarming for me to know that after all these 41 years we still have that wonderful,loving big brother-little sister dialouge going on.. :)

Here are some funny "old time" pics of mom...as my boys would say

4 or 5 months old


Second Christmas 1968


Christmas 1970 (note the Ker-Plunk game!)


My "Boston Tea Party" (marshmallows and red kool-aid)


Kindergarten

Fall is in the air...

Christy and I texted back and forth the other day all our favorite things about fall until we couldn't come up with any more. It is our favorite time of year.

Our group met at Tami's house this past Monday and it was so beautifully decorated and smelled so good it really put me in the fall mood.... So...my blog has gotten its fall facelift and my house is soon to follow. I have two totes of fall decorations and goodies calling my name. Unfortunately, we are so busy, the fall fairies may have to come and put it all out for me...(you know who you are) I also bought a pumpkin spice reed diffuser and some autumn spice febreeze...YUM

Right now Jaden and Ava are watching the Autumn part of Barney's 4 Seasons dvd. Jaden can't wait to "roll in the leaves...feel the cool breeze and stuff a scarecrow top to bottom...." (you mom's of barney loving tots will appreciate that little snipit)

Fall is in the air... and I love it!

God is Good...

Before...


Waiting...


Welping...


AFTER!


You are looking at the face of a happy girl! Why is she happy?... she is eating a BANANA and drinking APPLE JUICE!!! Simple pleasures are the best!

Testing went well. We gained EIGHT foods... we also lost some and added new allergies, but hey, we are thrilled to have some variety. The biggies we gained... wheat, milk, turkey, peas, apples and bananas! Believe me that is HUGE for us. We also gained back garlic and onion. The ones we lost were big too though... corn (ouch! ava LOVES her popcorn) we also lost pork, which really hurts, carrots are a no no now, as are some new ones she was tested for including blueberries, lettuce and tuna. Nuts are still lethal to her, and barley is still a close second.

Thank you all so much for the prayers. We really felt them. She had to lay still on her stomach for almost 20 minutes and she did it! She cried, but bless her heart, she didn't move. What a great relief!

Prayers for Ava...

Tomorrow is the day... Ava will have her allergy retest.

It's scary...

Last year, within 10 minutes the room was full of doctors and nurses in fear she was going into anaphylactic shock. Her poor little body was covered with quarter size hives. On that day I was given the very long list of what she couldn't eat, and the very short list of what she could.

I am trying to go into this very realistically. The best I am hoping for is to get back one or two foods, and for her reaction to be less violent. My fear is that the allergies have grown worse. Seems like no matter what she eats lately, she reacts.

So... at 11:00 tomorrow morning, as they turn her tiny little back and arms into pin cushions, any prayers you could send our way would be greatly appreciated. She is a trooper. She will probably handle it much better than I do.

IU Band Day...

Aaron and I got away for the weekend... can you believe it. Thanks to my mom, who is always willing to come stay with her babies for a day or two. (and as usual, when I got home, all my 80 loads of laundry were done!) Thanks mom!

We went to Indy and stayed at the Embassy Suites. The big printwear tradeshow always falls around our anniversary, so it is becoming tradition for us to hit that as part of our weekend away. Great tax write for the whole trip! :)

On the way home, we stopped in Bloomington to attend the IU Band Day. This was the first time for Aaron, second time for me. Last year Ed, Christy, Evan and I enjoyed it from the nosebleed section. It is really a good time. Neat to see our kids in that environment. The big time. They left the school at 1:00 and got home at 10:45. Ethan was pretty tired...but had a ball.

I did not have my camera, but managed to take these pics with Aaron's phone.

Drum Line...


Warming Up...


Love that hat Ethan...


Impressive...

Happy Anniversary

Sixteen years ago today... Way back in 1992...Aaron and I took the plunge.

It was a beautiful, sunny day. We were married at 5:30 in the evening at the Methodist Church in Shoals. There were fifteen in our wedding party. Our reception was held at the Ruritan building in Montgomery, where we had a catered meal and a live band...(no dj's for us!)It was packed and could not have been more fun! We flew out of Indy the next day for 7 days in Orlando and Clearwater. With the exception of a pretty crappy photographer...the whole experience was pretty close to perfect.

In some ways it seems like yesterday. (Maybe because I have watched the video a million times:) In other ways it seems like another lifetime. The great thing about it is... after all these years and all these kids... we would marry each other all over again.

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PS... Barb, I just have to ask... do you remember how HUGE your hair was at my wedding? If not...I have photos! :)

My littlest scholar...

Man, it has been a busy week for Jaden... party all weekend, turning 5 on Monday, starting pre-school on Tuesday, fall baseball Tuesday night and Wednesday night, preschool again today... WHEW! That's a lot of activity for a little guy.

He went to preschool last year, so it wasn't a big traumatic thing. I had to laugh at some of the other mom's, standing there with tissues, reluctant to leave, hovering over their little ones. Hmmm... do I really act that way and look that ridiculous in front of everyone? Reality check... Nope... I wait till I get to the car.

Here are some pics of the big day.

Ready to go...


Waiting in the van...


Looking very grown up...


See ya later mom...

Happy Birthday Jaden!

Kent and his family were down for the weekend. Haley has started college in Utah, Max had to work, and Evan starts back to IU today so none of them were able to be there. That was kind of a bummer.

We all went to to Dad and Julie's church to surprise my grandma. She is 91 and the sweetest thing. Still cruises Jasper, and spends more time at Walmart than I do! She was thrilled to see us all there. After church we celebrated Jaden's birthday at dad's with a cookout, cake, swimming and a couple of "cornhole" tournaments. (which I had never heard of, but was so fun!) It was a beautiful day, and we had a ball.

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