Halloween Eve

Church at home (The worship team :-) )

Lesson from Psalms

Their favorite part of church - praising God with a dance.

Pumpkin carving before bed - this is the first time we've whipped out the knives. Usually we paint the pumpkins. (Shockingly enough!) not a single injury was sustained!

Little did I know that (after all sharp objects were once again safely stowed away and my heart rate could return to normal once the fear of sliced off digits that must be put on ice and taken to the ER to be sown back on smal hands was put to rest) we would soon discover the joy of carving rather than painting when an exciting, new game was born. We (oh so cleverly) titled it: Light-the-jack o lanterns-one-by-one-and-turn-off-the-lights-then-make-scary-Halloweenish-noises-to spook-the-poor-kids-then-have-the-little-screechers-guess-whose-pumpkin-is-whose. {Such fun!}
This one was dad's. I think he loves touch downs. ;-)

1-7

1. There is nothing like a broken washing machine to jolt me into the reality that no matter how much I love Little House on the Prairie (and I DO! I really, really LOVE Little House on the Prairie!) I had too many kids to handwash clothes am too much of a wimp to handwash clothes may not enjoy the Pioneer Motherhood Lifestyle as much as I like to pretend I would.

2. There is nothing like 50 lbs of oats in my pantry and 40 lbs of apples coming on Saturday to cause visions of apple crisp to float through my head. Buying in ((((mega)))) bulk is my latest attempt at properly feeding the 7 ravenous children who live here and convincingly act as though they have never seen a meal in their lives, approximately every 2 hours. Apple crisp for breakfast, apple crisp for lunch.....
Dessert anyone?

3. There is nothing like a broken van to jolt me into the reality that perhaps we would all be well served to go back to the days of horses and buggies. Think green! Goodbye global warming! {It is at this very minute that I, once again, begin to delusionally fool myself think that the Pioneer Motherhood Lifestyle is for me.}

4. There is nothing like a simultaneous breaking of the washing machine and the van to cause me to consider my career options. $$ School bus driver? $$  {This is where I abandon the horse and buggy notion.}

5. There is nothing like the looming Halloween Holiday in a house full of children to challenge my Candy Reduction (because I can not entirely do with out! What? Are you crazy?) Plan.

6. There is nothing like old age to assist the Candy Reduction  (because I can not entirely do with out! What? Are you crazy?) Plan. My favorite gummy fruity chewy goodies have started to hurt my teeth. {Insert exact moment where I begin feeling like my grandpa who long ago gave up crunchy carrots years ago because they were hard to chew.}


7. There is nothing like a vaccination discussion among (earthy, all natural, well educated) Colorado moms to rev up an otherwise calm, civil conversation. If we are in person friends, you know - I do love myself some hot topics!

The brood eating snacks at the oldest grocery store/deli in Colorado Springs.
They each brought $3 of their allowance to splurge on whatever they wanted.
Soda. They all chose soda.
Have I taught them nothing at all?

Licorice sticks taller than them were also a big hit.

 

Waiting at the parts store where broken van parts were being purchased,
deep in $$bus driving$$/horse and buggy contemplations - thus, the scowl.

If someone had told us then, would we have believed them?

On October 22, 1995 Bobby and I had our first date. Along with his brother Neil (who set up the event for us) and a friend of mine, we went to Old Chicago for dinner followed by a few games of pool. I'll never forget (a very outgoing) Neil talking (a very shy) Bob into doing his best cookie monster impression over Old Chicago's signature giant chocolate chip pan cookie.
Be still my heart. :-)

To celebrate 16 years of not only togetherness, but wonderful, exceptional, often extraordinarily blissful happiness we took the kids out to the scene that marked The Beginning.

As we sat in a booth enormous enough to host the now 9 members of our family, I couldn't help but wonder what we would have thought if on that first date, someone would have told us all that time would bring the 2 of us? Would our 20 and 21 year old selves have run at the thought of (7!) children, 5 births, 2 adoptions, 3 mortgages, difficult career choices, gain, loss, trials, victories, tears, amazement, disappointment,  the departure of youthful idealism rightfully replaced with far more gracious realistic acceptance? Could we have possibly envisioned the way the years would change us, altering our perspectives, our faces, our bodies, deepening our commitment? Would we ever have been able to forsee the myriad of decisions that would need to be made - some poorly, some well? Remembring our younger selves, I'm certain we could not have imagined all that the future would hold. Time had to unfold it slowly before our eyes, one step at a time - lesson by lesson, day by day, choice by choice, joyfully, painfully. As gradually as the fullness of our lives came to us, glancing back over the years, it seems to have flown by.

Not for a moment do I take lightly the blessing of being able to say that throughout each of the joys and sorrows this life has had to offer, amidst the array of ups and downs that inevitably accompany the unwrapping of each new phase, our relationship has truly been a source of fun, stability, support, and fulfillment, a refuge. People say it all the time and I know it's true for many of us - I am married to my best friend. For that, I am forever grateful and in awe of my good fortune.

On October 22, 2011 we shared a giant chocolate chip cookie.....
along with the people we love most and countless fond memories.

Be still my full, full heart.

Annual Trip To Miller farm

Is this the 6th or 7th year? I can't remember. All I know is that EVERY year we savor the bounty of fresh produce. It takes most of a day to deal with all the vegetables we bring home (the Deutsch family has MANY hands to harvest!) but we will enjoy corn, cabbage, onions, green beans, potatoes, carrots, pumpkin and celery for months to come. Hearty vegetable soup (to be served with pumpkin muffins) is simmering on the stove now filling the house with warmth and the scent of fall. I must admit, I {heart} homemaking. :-)

Because My Mother May Kill Me...

If I don't post some pictures for her. Here are just a few. Hopefully, my life will now be spared. ;-)