Happy Halloween!!!

Here's a few pictures from the 30th and from Halloween!

Hope everyone's Halloween was fun and safe! Our boys got tons of candy, and all of it was the good stuff, there was none of the nasty stuff being passed around! Yeah! Jacob gave me a bag of peanut m&m's, which I thought was so sweet and they were good! LOL I haven't had them in a long time. I think of my own dad when I have them ,because they are his ultimate favorite candy. He eats them in his own special way too, which is so funny! (He will dump a few into his hand and makes a mental note of how many of each color he has and then eats the ones he has the most of first and goes down that way!) What's funnier is that we (My mom, brother, and I) just found this out in the last 2 yrs!!! My parents have been married for over 30 yrs and my dad's had a love for Peanut M&M's for as long as I can remember! It's nice though, that even after 30+ yrs of marriage my parents are still finding things out about each other, those little quirks!

Well, I'm off to bed!

 

Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!

 

(BTW I updated our new journal TalesfromtheFrontandtheonesleftBehind )

Trick or Treat Thru J-Land

 

Hey everyone Happy Halloween!

 

 

Here's something fun to do and get some journal exposure!

 

Hey, everyone is looking for journal exposure or maybe would just like some fun. Let's do both!

Starting Friday night through Monday night visit as many J-land journals as you can, and leave a comment and a link to your journal as a treat. The more "houses" you visit the more trick or treaters you'll get.

Please call your entry "TRICK OR TREAT THU J-LAND".  If you come to a journal that does not have this entry title, consider it a door you knocked on and no one answered! Decorate your journal for Halloween, perhaps a picture of your front door or whatever grabs your holiday spirit. Leave links to your journals where ever you can. Stop at the same journal only once!

Start 7pm Friday and end 9pm Monday...whatever your time zone. Report back here next week to let us know how many trick or treaters you had.

Trick or Treat Thru J-Land

 

Have fun and knock on lots of doors!!! :)

 

 

NEW JOURNAL!!!!

Well we looked at everyone's opinion and then I told Chad to just tell me what he liked the best......the winner is........

 

Tales from the Front and the ones left Behind!!

 

Here's the link: TalesfromtheFrontandtheonesleftBehind

I've done a VERY brief 1st entry and will have Chad write one up tomorrow. Feel free to share this link with others. I'll let you know a few times in this journal when the other one is updated, but eventually you'll just have to use your alerts! :)

 

Thanks for your comments and suggestions! Betty, you actually gave us the title! I just combined 2 you suggested! Thanks everyone though!

New Journal Titles: Your Vote Please

Well I've recieved some great possible journal titles. I've picked my favorite's that you have passed on to me, I've also combined some idea's, and thought of a couple of my own.

So what I want your help doing is giving me your opinion of your favorite out of these. You have 24 hrs and then I'll be creating the journal. I want to make it before Chad leaves and we will both post our feelings of his impeding deployment. It may be a few weeks before Chad's able to get online while they inprocess over there, but once he can get online he said he'll write a little bit for the journal!

Here's our list, please just pick your favorite one and put it in the comments:

1. Eccelesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

2. Fighting the Good Fight

3. If you ONLY knew, the real OVER THERE

4. For God and Country

5. How's Your Freedom?

6. See Through Our Eyes

7. The War, The Homefront, The Reality

8. Tales from the front and the ones left behind

 

Thanks for your help!!! :)

Some Funnies! LOL

 Some are a little corny, but they're cute! LOL

1. Two antennae met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent.

 2. A jumper cable walks into a bar. The bartender says, "I'll serve you, but don't start anything."

 3. Two peanuts walked into a bar, and one was a salted.

 4. So this dyslexic man walked into a bra…

 4.5 (addition by Trish)…and he found out it was a booby trap?

 5. A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm and says: "A beer please, and one for the road."

 6. Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: "Does this taste funny to you?"

 7. "Doc, I can't stop singing 'The Green, Green Grass of Home.'" "That sounds like Tom Jones Syndrome." "Is it common?" Well, "It's Not Unusual."

 8. Two cows are standing next to each other in a field. Daisy says to Dolly, "I was artificially inseminated this morning." "I don't believe you," says Dolly. "It's true, no bull!" exclaims Daisy.

9. An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids were nothing to look at either.

 10. Deja Moo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.

 11. I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day but I couldn't find any.  

12. A man woke up in a hospital after a serious accident. He shouted, Doctor, doctor, I can't feel my legs!" The doctor replied, "I know you can't - I've cut off your arms!"  

13. I went to a seafood disco last week...and pulled a mussel.  

14. What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fsh.  

15. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. The one turns to the other and says "Dam!".  

16. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.  

17. A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. "But why," they asked, as they moved off. "Because", he said, "I can't stand chess-nuts boasting in an open foyer."  

18. A woman has twins and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt and is named "Ahmal." The other goes to a family in Spain; they name him "Juan." Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wishes she also had a picture of Ahmal. Her husband responds, "They're twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal."

 19. Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him ..(Oh, man, this is so bad, it's good)..... A super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.  

20. And finally, there was the person who sent twenty different puns to his friends, with the hope that at least ten of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did.

Journal

I've decided to make another journal while Chad's deployed. It will be a combination of my thoughts and feelings along with Chad's, so you'll get 2 different perspectives. I'll be copying and pasting emails that Chad writes FOR the journal (sorry no personal emails! LOL).

I'll add pictures here and there. I'll make it and put the link up here soon (next few days probably). Feel free to share the journal with others. So...now I need a title! Throw out some idea's! I can't promise we'll pick any that you suggest, but we may, or you may inspire us with the variety and make one from a few different suggestions!

 

Sleep, I want sleep

I have insomnia, have since Jordyn died. I have tried everything but medications to get to sleep, it's yet to work. I feel tired, my body is tired, my eyes are tired, my mind is going though. It's got so many thoughts in it just spinning around.

I have struggled with giving this to the Lord, and I just yank it back. I truly believe until I give it to God fully and completely I'm going to be fighting insomnia. I don't know why I do this, there has to be a reason. Why do I keep taking it back from God? Why do any of us take back to God that we first give to him? It amazes me that he even ALLOWS us to take things back. What a gentle God he is. I'm not nearly as gentle a mother to my boys about certain things. How unworthy I feel so immediately . I know I'm not worthy of his love or forgiveness, yet he gives it to me, he gives it to all of us who accept Christ as their savior.

I think I need to get off of here, and at least dive into my bible and let his word sink into my brain.

 

I want to thank everyone who's either posted a comment or emailed me with bible verses for Chad. I truly apperciate it.

I also would like your opinions. I'm thinking of starting another journal. It'll be strictly about Chad, his deployment, and our life without him. I'm going to ask him to write up journal entries as well. I could have him do it in email and I'll just C&P it in, and make sure no details that shouldn't be shared with the public's edited out. This would maybe give people who are not part of the military, don't know anyone who's been deployed, or have never heard or read about their TRUE experience over there.

The media is full of half-truths, and big fat lies about Iraq and this war. Maybe we can help show others what it's really like for at least one soldier. I'll even ask him to share some stories from his first time around. I haven't talked to him yet about this, so his part of it is not for sure yet. I'll let you know more when a decision has been made.

 

God Bless

Sweet little boys

About 20 minutes ago Jack woke up, 2 yrs old and up at after 10 pm is not exactly a "good" thing. We have a door that seperates a VERY small/short hall way that has a door that seperates the living/dining room from the bedrooms and bathrooms (and that hall way seperates the bedrooms with the bathroom being at the end of this TINY hall and in the middle of the bedrooms..I'll take a picture this week! LOL) So anyways, he opens the door and says "Daddy" in a very tired little 2 yr old voice (if you're a momma you know that sweet voice). I was "here" sitting with my back to the door so I don't think he saw me, as he tumbled over to his Daddy and laid in his lap. Chad asked him what was wrong but he said nothing, then he kind of sat up and started watching football with Dad! I figured he was thirsty and brought him his water cup, (Momma was right!) and of course got the "Mommy" with arms lifted up. So of course I took him and took him back to bed. I layed him down and he grabbed my neck. The problem with laying with my boys is that they have the most comfortable mattress's created I think! It's VERY hard to NOT fall asleep on them, so when I do lay down with the boys I have to make it quick or else I'll be out like a light! LOL I layed with him and he started doing something that he's slowly becoming famous for in our household...he rolled his eyes back, and then gave the sweetest, yet orneriest smile! I couldn't help but smile and give a little giggle (I'm also getting sick again, so coughing was also added in there with the giggle). He continued to do it, and finally I could hold it in no longer and gave a good hard laugh, which only made him do it more and smile WIDER! Ummm it's 10:30 pm kid, quit making me laugh! So to be the responsible mommy, I gave him his cup of water and one of his teddy bears, told him that Mommy was going to go back out, but that he could go back to sleep. He gave me another of his famous eye rolls and smiles and then closed his eyes.

He's a funny little boy, so precious, and beautiful. It's fun watching him grow. There are days I say outloud "what happened to my sweet baby boy"..then I get nights like this and see he's still there, he's just hiding a little deeper.

So, with that I'll share something about my other precious little man! Jacob, my very smart and handsome 4 yr old. This morning at church, we were singing and oh was I feeling the songs, we sang some really great ones and I was swaying and singing withmy eyes closed (I do give myself credit that I do actually have a good singing voice too). I was pretty well belting it out and I feel Jacob slip his hand into mine, and start swaying and singing his little heart out as well. (He's his momma's boy in this aspect for sure!). Then we're asked to sit and the worship team leader goes to the piano (he normally plays the guitar with lead vocals) and starts playing "THE SONG", it's one of my FAVORITE songs and truly is one of those that gets to me almost everytime...."Who Am I" by Casting Crowns (lyrics will be at the end of this post) I wasn't blubbering, but the tears were streaming. There were no words desplayed on the wall for this song, yet almost everyone in the congregation was singing along, even my sweet Jacob, who whispered at the end.."Mommy I love that song and when I face Jesus I think I'll fall on my knee's". Oh my goodness how precious and beautiful is that???? I know! The next song was "I Can Only Imagine"..that was the end of our worship/singing and I saw many tears flowing (mine included).

Often times I find myself just singing the words, but not listening to the song. There are times I get annoyed with Jacob for wanting my attention during worship, because I love singing, yet I love this child far more than a song that isn't even touching my soul. Today, God grabbed ahold of me. He gave me this precious little boy who loves the Lord so much and loves me so much (and his daddy). He has allowed me to share a joy with him and to witness a gift that GOD has also given him, a beautiful voice when it comes to singing. As we swayed this morning, I felt more like we were one and together we were in the presence of the Lord and those who love and adore him. There was an electicity and calmness in the air at once. I felt like I could almost feel others giving it up and giving it to God. Letting him work things out.

Was it the songs, no, not really. It was GOD, but he let those songs strike a cord in US to really feel HIM. Sometimes as a mom I get so caught up in the daily duties of being a mom that I forget the most important job of being a mom...teaching my children about GOD and being a Godly mother to them. Showing them my tender side more is something I strive for everyday. Showing them my devotion to Jesus, and showing them to spend time in the word everyday. Today, I did a much better job at showing that side. Tomorrow, I'm going to make the effort. I want to keep making that effort, until it's not longer making an effort, it's just part of me, and there will be no "thinking" about it, it just will be.

Here's those lyrics btw :)

Artist:  Casting crowns
Song: Who am I lyrics

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt,
Who am I?
That the Bright and Morning Star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart,

Not because of who I am,
But because of what You've done,
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who You are,

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean (ocean),
A vapor in the wind,
Still You hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling,
And You've told me who I am..
I am Yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin,
Would look on me with love,
and watch me rise again,
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me,

Not because of who I am,
But because of what You've done,
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who You are,

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean (ocean),
A vapor in the wind,
Still You hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling,
And You've told me who I am...
I am Yours, I am Yours.

I am Yours,
Whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear?
'Cause I am Yours,
I am Yours.

Exhausted!

We had Awana tonight, I'm so tired. My legs feel like Jello. I LITERALLY RAN all night long. Tonight was truly the real "test", last week was the first week and everything went so smoothly, tonight it was fine, just more hectic. A room that was SUPPOSED to be open wasn't, so 2 of our groups had to to across the parking lot to another building, which was fine...just we were not prepared for that and didn't have everything handed out like we needed.

I want to go to bed, but we still have to have dinner (don't worry Chad's starting that! LOL). I think I could take a nice bubble bath as well, that sounds REALLY good! I am so thankful that I have a good husband that will cook when I'm just too tired to. It's going to suck when he's gone for so many reasons, one being when I'm just tired and need help. I have good friends here though and we'll all be able to lean on one another.

Well time to go help my hubby.

God Bless from the very tired Awana-Sparky Secretary :) :)

Leaving

My husband is leaving for Iraq soon. Too soon. I have known this, I still feel peaceful about him going. I know he loves Jesus and that no matter what I'll be with him one day, either in 365 days from when he arrives in the middle east (or less) or when we get to Heaven.

But the fact is, tonight it hit me. He got told a possible day this morning, but it's not official, so I will not  be posting it. I won't post it even when I do know, because that's just not safe. Please pray for him to Feel the love of Christ with him every moment he's there. If you'd like to share any bible verses for him to read while he's deployed, I'd love that. I am going to write a list of them for him and place them in his bible.

I always leave him little notes in his carry on's when he deploys. I stick them all over the place, so that in his first few days and weeks he comes across little love notes persay. Some will have a bible verse, some are drawings and writings from the boys, some are personal messages just from me to him. He loves these and although at this point he does expect them, he's always surpised at the creative places I hide them, and the quite obvious ones too! Hey a few must be obvious so he finds them when he is on the plane and in the air.

I really feel so blah right now. I'm going to miss him so much. It's not easy being a "single" mom persay. I have a lot of admiration for those women who do this day in and day out, without the knowledge that their husband will be home eventually. I guess I don't actually have that security, but I have that hope and belief!

Chad works with a guy, and I'm friends with his wife, in his 16 yrs in the Army this is his 1st deployment. Amazing...truly amazing.

I pray that this time we don't lose anyone. I really don't want to have to go to another military memorial service again. Please pray for my husband and the soldier's he will be serving with. If you don't agree with this world, honestly I don't want to hear about it. My husband is going to go fight in a war and that's all there is to it. He is fighting for the Iraqi's to have a voice of their own, to have some of the rights that we as American's most often take for granted, because that's the way it's "always been". We're selfish people and very arrogant so often. Some get so caught up in hating our President or hating this or that and just feel they know ALL the details without ever stepping a foot into the war, or knowing anyone who was in this war...or even knowing someone, but not listening to what these brave men and women are doing there. Chad came home last yr right in the midst of the Presidental elections. He initially didn't care if he voted or not, of course he's married to a woman who wouldn't accept that, and told him he had to at least watch one debate. That's all it took. I'll scream it from the rooftops, we BOTH voted for OUR PRESIDENT. He's not perfect, but he was and IS the BEST MAN for this job. Sorry I went off on a little tangent, but hey it's my journal I get to do that!

 

Anyways, the most important thing...please pray for my husband. Thanks in advanced for any bible verse you want to share for him.

 

God Bless

I have a confession

Ok, it's seriously not that big of an issue..but well since moving here to Germany I've found 2 tv shows that well I LOVE! Bernie Mac and Girlfriends. If you've never watched them, do! They're so funny. Sometimes Girlfriends is a little serious, but not often. Now Bernie Mac, ok the guy is possibly one of, if not the funniest man! There's not a day that I watch his show that I'm, not cracking up! When Chad's home for lunch he'll watch it with me, and he admits they're funny! These are also two shows that for what ever reasons I'd have never watched in the states. I think mostly because they probably competed with another show I watched. Either way, I now have 2 shows that are in my favorite category!

So tell me what's your little "secret" tv viewing pleasure that you either recently discovered or just have never admitted to anyone or at least very few that you watch! :) What's your guilty pleasure!

Redneck Hurrican Survival Kit! ROFL!!

Toilet Paper.....................................check
1/4 loaf of bread & mustard .................check

Bud Light.........................................check

Keystone Ice......................................check

Budweiser...........check

Red Dog...........................................check

Misc. other bottles of alcohol....................check

Piece of plywood to float your chick and booze on... ... check


Next time let's all be more prepared.  

 

Sorry this was just too funny!

 

 

Been a few days

I know it's been a few days since I posted last. The week's been good for the most part. I have to admit now, that I seem to have a bad memory at times. There are times I can remember everything and then there are days I can't remember what I did 1 hr ago, much less the day before. Right now I'm drawing a blank for most of the week. I know that's horrible, huh. I know on Monday Chad returned back to work after being on leave (or vacation in civilian terms) for 16 days. On Monday it was a little chilly so I decided to take the boys to the indoor play area at the community activity center/CAC. They had a great time, and it was so nice since a friend of mine and her girls arrived at the same time as we did. As we were leaving my oldest "prince"  decided to be naughty with my friend's oldest little "pincess" and they took off outside, to say I was mad is an understatement...we both took off running after them carrying our youngest in our arms, to find they had went down the ramp to the laundry facitility that's in the basement of the CAC. My friend was able to get down there quicker than me, and grabbed them both. I decided then no library, and we headed home. That was Monday summed up, minus the punishment! LOL

Tuesday we went for a walk, played at the Desert Storm Memorial Park, went to the library, then I took the boys to childwatch at the chapel since I had a "lovely" meeting, our last predeployment meeting. This was a "fun" meeting, talking about casualty and all that fun stuff. It is a very necessary meeting though. The fact is that our husbands (and a handful of wives) are going off to war, and we learned well with the last deployment that people die, we lost 9 soldiers/friends from our last company, our lives were touched forever from their deaths. I never want to be one of the wives who gets that dreaded knock on her door, but the fact is, my husband will be in a war zone, and it's the Army's job to prepare us as much as possible on what will happen if our husbands are injured, seriously injured, very seriously injured, MIA, or killed. Yes there are 3 category's for injury. Since this isn't our first deployment I felt I had knowldge on this, sine I've been through these briefings before. There's A LOT of first time deployment's, so it was really good for them and I hope that it'll ease minds and answered questions that they'd have had throughout the deployment. They did feed everyone afterwards, so that was nice!

Wednesday I had bible study, that was awesome as always! I love my bible study. My relationship with Christ is growing so much. The study I'm in, is for parents. "Becoming the Parent God Wants You To Be" by Dr. Kevin Leman. It's great! I highly recommend it! We do one chapter a week, next week we will have a special program, we have speakers coming from about 1 hr away, and quite a few of the ladies either know them or have heard them and it sounds like it's going to be just awesome! I know without a doubt, that PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel...which is truly non-denominational) is going to be my biggest support while Chad's gone. I'm so thankful I decided to attend this wonderful group of women. They truly are wonderful, such a blessing to me. Two women who I can truly call friends I actually met when I went through PEP a month (a newcomer's orientation..it was AWESOME!), they are in the same bible study as me. (BTW, PWOC has four different studies going on if that tells you how many ladies come...there's probably 20 women in each, at least!) Other than that the day was good. Chad had to go 3 1/2 hrs away on Tuesday and didn't get home until 4 AM, it was all work related so don't get the wrong idea! LOL That's sooo not my husband! He's like me, a home body and would rather be with his family than anywhere else 99.99% of the time! :) So he was off on Wednesday. It was a good day yesterday! Today we had a BBQ with the company, it was ok. The boys got to play in the play area...they ran themselves ragged, then went inside and played in the playroom (we had the BBQ at a place where we have meetings, you can go and just hang out, watch the big screen tv, has a nice playroom, a computer room that has quite a few computers, also has VTC (Video Teleconfercing) so when the soldier's are deployed we can talk to them, and has an outdoor play area which is fenced in, and off the back of the play area is a gate to a fenced in BBQ w/shelter over it. The boys had a great time, even if the company was not oraganized well, what do you expect when a SINGLE Officer plans a BBQ in two days! Yes, I wrote that right, 2 days! Then was SHOCKED that more wives didn't bring side dishes and dessert! Personally they got what they deserved, thinking that everyone can just drop everything and make them or have food prepared for them with 2 days notice, and they actually wanted us to send it in with our husbands at either PT or First formation! Ha, well I made a German Chocolate Cake (yes I know, how appropriate being in Germany and all! LOL...but it is what I had here), someone brought a bowl of pasta salad, someone sent cookies, and someone brought cupcakes. The company supplied chips, drinks, the buns, meat, and paper goods, and condiments. Ok, done with that, it turned into a mini vent almost.

So that leads to now. I'm ticked! LOL Why you ask, well because the Army can be major morons at times! Now I'm still pro-army, and all that. But Grrr, I'm still human and definately have emotions, that often get the best of me!

Right before we were getting ready to leave, the guy that is over Chad (he actually only has 2 people over him, a higher ranked NCO and his Captain) told Chad that the Captain needed to talk to him. Come to find out, that one of the crates they took on Tuesday, the idiots that moved it today, broke it, and so now Chad and 7 other guys have to go back up there, transfer everything into a new crate. So he is leaving at 5 am, he hopes to be home by 7 tomorrow. Tomorrow is our deployment ceremony for our BN. I'm so angry. I really am. Because of course they couldn't send anyone else, much less his captain, because well he needs to be part of the ceremony, and since Chad's just a lowly NCO, who cares. I told Chad how I felt, he agreed, but of course he has to do as he's told, because he's a soldier, and a great one, and he's good at keeping his mouth shut, unlike his mouthy wife! Jacob really wants to go to the deployment ceremony so I guess we'll go. I'm not sure what's going to happen tomorrow afternoon though. We're supposed to get together and make posters and banners for when they leave. I was going to have Chad stay home with the boys while I went and did this, but now I have to call our FRG leader and find out if I can bring the boys or not. If I can't then I can't make banners and posters, and that sucks. I will just make my own, but not exactly the same. I really need to get to know the ladies in our company and this would have been a great way. I love being part of the FRG (support group), and unless you're active and attend the meetings and these sort of things, you can't get to know them or really know if it's a good group or not.

Ok, I'm done whining. I'm sure over the year you'll hear enough whining to last you all a lifetime! LOL I promise not to whine too much. It's not always easy being an Army wife, but I do feel blessed that my husband has chosen the Army as his career, and he really does love his job, and just loves the Army! My 4 yr old, one of the MANY things he wants to do when he's grown up is be in the Army! LOL He also wants to jump out of airplanes, fly airplanes, ride horses, be a firefighter, policeman, dr, a trashman (lol yep!), and a few others that I can't think of right now! Most often he wants to be a soldier though! Of course he doesn't realize that Mommy says he IS going to college first! :)

Update

Thought I'd update on Jack. The rash is gone! :) So no need to go the dr tomorrow. We had a great weekend! Saturday we went downtown, got the boys their costumes! Oh they are going to be so cute! Jacob will be a knight (in shining armor) and Jackson will be our little Cowboy (yeehaw!). Then we went up to the castle that over looks the city (at night it's so beautiful, it's lit up...!) We then went downtown to St.Michael's Abbey/Monestary, I got some pictures there, it's so dark inside so a lot of the pictures just didn't turn out very well unfortunately, but I did a get a few good shots! They have this tomb that supposedly you rub part of it and then crawl through if you have any medical issue's it'll take them away. The boys both crawled through and I got some cute pictures (they have no medical issue's and we don't go in those types of beliefs anyways...) then we went down to The Dom (pronounced Dome) and I got some good pictures there. The main thing I wanted was of the Nativity scene. It's this huge wooden piece. During WWII of course Hitler wanted it, because of it's value. The people of the church and city knew that he wanted it, so everytime the Nazi's came through they hid it under the church/streets! It's huge and wood, so you know it's heavy and must have taken many strong men to carry this thing and they did it many times! When we got home, we had soup! I made home made vegetable soup. It was so good! Then we took the boys to the carnival after dinner. It was a lot of fun. They do it so different here than in the states. Each ride at it's own ticket booth. Not like in the states were you can go up to a ticket booth and buy say 20 tickets and those tickets work for all the rides there. The boys got to ride 3 rides alone and then we road a little roller coaster, Chad and Jacob...Jack and Me. Then we all got on the ferris wheel. From the top we could see the castle all lit up and St.Michael's Abbey...just a beautiful view. The boys passed out on the way home! Oh and we found the biggest pretzels ever there!!! Oh my gosh! Ok most American's may not know this, but American's do NOT know how to make pretzels...they just do NOT compare to Germany's! A normal German pretzel is about the same size as the one's you find in the states, although they are often a little bigger...these were about 4 American pretzel's, in ONE! Insane! We split is, between the 4 of us. Chad bought two..and we had the other one today, the 4 of us! LOL The boys love them as much as Chad and I do, and we LOVE them! LOL So anyways...

Today we went to church, came home, lunch, put the boys down for their nap, then at 4 I left for Awana (I'm the Spark's secretary so I had to be there early), Chad took Jacob at 4:30. The Sparks and T&T are in the old gym, which is about a 2 minute walk from our home, if that! The Cubbies meet at the chapel (about a 5 minute walk!). We figured with tonight being the first one of the year, it'd be a little crazy, but it wasn't! It went so smoothly. It was wonderful! The kids had so much fun, the adults had so much fun! When I was leaving the gym, Chad was just getting back from picking up Jacob and they saw me...they were all running to me (well the boys were running, Chad was smiling and walking towards me!). We took our time and walked back. The boys ran all over the place, just having a great time. We were about 1 building over from ours and they have tons of leaves on the ground, so the boys played in them running around, jumping, falling, just having so much fun. I wish I would have had my camera (next time I will!). We had to practically drag them inside, after standing out there letting them play for 45 more minutes!

On a little side note...after Chad dropped Jacob off at Cubbies, he took Jackson to the park and they played the whole time ( 1 1/2 hrs) just the two of them. This brings so much joy to my heart. For so long, Chad and Jacob would go do things together, alone, because Jack was too little/young. Chad and Jack have rarely had any one on one time, so knowing that at least for the next 2 or 3 Sunday's they will have this time together just brings me so much joy. I know that Chad will hold on to these moments. I told him when he gets back from Iraq that at least once a month he needs to take each boy individually for a day of just "Daddy and me" time. Take them to a park, for a walk...just things for them alone with each other for a few hours. Two Saturday's a month, and this will give me individual time with each boy too.

It's so important to Chad and me, that the boys have great relationship with him. They NEED him, and with him being in the Army, life can get crazy and hectic at times and doesn't always leave a lot of family time, so we have to grab onto the time we have. I've really not been thinking about it too much lately, but reality is starting to really set in that he's leaving...soon. I know that God will be with him, and that this time around his job will be a "little" "safer"..he's still going to be in Iraq and still going to be in one of, if not the most dangerous area's of Iraq, but I know that he believes and loves Christ and that I have no control over any of what's about to happen to Chad in the next year (as if I ever have control!). I know that Chad will do his best to keep himself and his soldiers safe, and that Christ will be with him every step of the way. Through all this faith, I am still human. I am still a woman, who's husband is leaving her for the next year, and I will miss him like crazy. I need him. Our children need him, the Army needs him too though. I know that the first month or so is really rough, then we'll start to get into our routine and things will get easier. He should have R&R, so he'll be home for a few weeks about half way through  his tour, which of course will mess up our routine, and saying goodbye will be that much harder (but we'll deal with that, because we will WANT him home for as long as we can have him...whether it's 1 day or 21 days...what ever the Army gives, we'll take it and recieve it with joy!).

Well, it's LATE,LATE,LATE in Germany (2:25 AM) and I better get back to bed...because Chad goes back to work in a few hours after being home for 16 days and he's sure spoiled me, letting me sleep in!

God bless

My baby boy and "the rash"

This morning my baby woke up and was fine, or so it seemed. When I crawled my lazy and still very tired butt out of bed (Daddy's home don't worry!) he came to me telling me that "it hurt" and pointing under his arm/arm pit area. So I bring him over to me and lift his arms and there's an AWFUL rash, both arms. In one of his arm pits, it looks like he has 2 welts almost. So I hurry get him dressed, get me dressed and off we go to the clinic that is thankfully just literally next door to us. I run over praying the whole time that we can get a walk in, knowing that all "same days" are filled at this point (that's pretty well all they do is same days unless it's for a well child or gyn visit)...thankfully we still had a 1/2 hr left for walk in's, so we rush back to the drs office.

The dr's not sure what caused it, and since he ate nothing out of the ordinary my only guess is it's the PJ's he was wearing last night...they were old ones of Jacob's, and I hadn't washed them yet, but Daddy put them on knowing that I had washed them before they were ever packed up and figured they were fine. Now we don't know if that's the culprit or not...but he definately had an allergic reaction to something. The rash covered not only both arm pits, but went down on both sides a good ways, about the breast bone and on one arm it was spreading up. So he's on a liquid antihystimene (I'm sure I misspelled that) that I have to give him every 6 hrs. She said that it could cause some "big drowsiness" (the dr's not American, she's orintenal Dr.Yu)...I said "could it cause the opposite effect and make him extremely active" she said "oh no-no, I doubt it" rofl!! yeah...well we got home I gave Jack his first dose then I had to leave for an Awana meeting, leaving Daddy home to deal with any side effects! ROFL! I asked him when I got home 2 hrs later...so did it make him drowsy? Chad: "yeah right, if you call running around like a wild man drowsy"...yeah Momma was right...he had the opposite side effect! LOL

He's stopped saying it hurts, so I think the medicine is at least working. Thank goodness! I'm going to be doing all the laundry tomorrow so all of Jacob's old clothes are already in the laundry so that Jackson can safely wear them. Oh and in the mean time until Monday at least the dr has put Jackson on a strictly carb diet! ROFL! Seriously! He's not allowed fruit or meat. I  have heard of fruit allergies, but never meat, so tomorrow when I make my home made veggie soup with beef in it, he will be allowed to eat that, if the rash gets worse then I'll believe her. I just think she's a little crazy on the meat thing! LOL :) The no fruits is going to kill the child, he eats at least 2 or 3 fruits a day, from banana's,apples, plums...what ever we have in the fridge he wants! Poor guy. :(

That's pretty well the sum of our exciting day, except we went to the commissary/grocery store. We went to the big one that's 1 hr away. We were all bad and Chad,Jacob, and I had Taco Bell and Jack had cheese pizza, had to get those carbs! Oh and he stole a few of Jacob's nacho's! LOL

 

When we got home, the boys went right to sleep and Chad and I put away all the groceries and Chad even reorganized the odd little cabinet that we keep our canned goods in, I'll have to take a picture of this cabinet...it's tall, but very narrow in depth. I've never seen anything like it, it's realy insane! LOL Then Chad and I watched: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants...I love this movie! I know it's intended audience was probably preteen and teenage girls, but who cares...it was a good movie. I laughed, I cried, I sat there and thought, and I even drooled a little at the hot Greek boy! LOL I recommend it! It's no "The Notebook", but it was still a good watch! Definately won't be a waste of 2 hrs!

Ramblings

I want to write, just not really sure what to write about tonight. There are days when I feel almost so overwhelmed by the blessings God has given me. This is NOT the life I ever thought I'd have. Never thought I'd watch my beautiful daughter fight cancer and then die because of it. I never thought in the midst of my greatest grief, I'd have a new life growing inside of me. Many people even today, 5 yrs later say "oh see what GOD gave you". I really, I mean REALLY HATE when people belittle Jordyn's death, my grief, and Jacob's life. They try to wrap it all up in a little nice package, when it was anything BUT! It was HELL on earth. I have never and pray I never feel pain like that. Jacob is a blessing, at the moment though I felt like he was anything but. The pregnancy was emotionally and in the beginning physically hard. When I was a little girl dreaming about having my own family, I did dream of having 3 children...2 boys and 1 girl. Here I am, I have that dream...yet my little girl is dead. Honestly it sucks. Now you maybe thinking at this point, wow...this is a depressing entry tonight. Actually though, I'm not feeling sad at all, just blah. When I dreamed of my husband I was quite vain, I was a pretty girl, in shape, really thought I was ALL THAT plus sum. I dated some stereo typical good-looking guys, but most had the attitude to go with it. With  both our vanity, and the fact that I was strong willed, the relationships failed. Then I met Chad! He was a nice guy. My best friend was going through a divorce and just wanted a FRIEND to go out with, who wanted nothing from her but a decent conversation and fun dancing, Chad was that guy for her. (I more or less "set them up") So the three of us spent a lot of time together, well pretty well every weekend for a couple months. I actually was dating another Chad, who happened to work with "my" Chad and lived across the hall from Chad in the barrack's. Of course that Chad and I broke up and "my" Chad and I seemed to get even closer. Then one night it dawned on me that I was falling for a nice guy...every one now...GASP! LOL :) So, to put it simple I told Chad how I felt and well the rest is history! My dear friend, she and another friend where my maids of honor. She is now remarried, has another son who's a yr younger than Jacob, along with a beautiful step-daughter!

So here I am over 8 yrs later, looking at my life. I thought I'd have finished college, become a child physcologist,got married, then have children, etc...etc...etc! You know though...my life didn't turn out like I initially planned. I have no regrets. I have been so blessed. I have 3 beautiful children. I get to watch 2 of them grow and get to teach them about their beautiful sister. I have a wonderful husband  who's brave beyond words. Because I married a man in the Army, our family gets to travel to amazing parts of this world and experience things we never thought we'd get to live in.

So tell me, is your life how you thought it'd turn out?

 

Two posts in the same day!

I know! I got this from my friend, Emily-Really Living blog!

So what does the month you were born tell about you? This was pretty close to me actually, other than I am NOT superstitious and don't think I'm ludicrous. I also don't have many problems showing emotions, otherwise this is a lot like me! :) Just a fun kind of thing!!

http://quizilla.com/users/Conspiracy911/quizzes/What%20does%20your%20birth%20month%20reveal%20about%20you%3F%20(read%20memo)%20/

February,
Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent andclever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislike unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizing dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

A couple things

Well I was obviously upset last night when I posted. I do get all heated up at times over certain subjects.

Now, please do NOT think that I was at all bashing Christians in general or as a whole, I was NOT doing that. I think personally as a Christian woman, I'm NOT perfect, hence why JESUS was sent to die for us...GOD knew we weren't. We are ALL hypocrites, every single one of us who proclaims CHRIST as our savior. It's really hard for me to hold back at times when "I" view someone who wants to act holier than tho, when she's doing exactly what she's putting others down for. This action of course is something I AM guilty of, yet I do try and it's something I'm working so hard on stopping. I don't think that as a Christian I am ANY WORSE or harder on anyone else. I've met just as many non-Christians, be it a different religious belief or agnostic or an athiest, and have seen them be as nasty, cruel, and harsh as a Christian. The difference is we do know it's wrong, hopefully we will repent, and we also know that even in our Sin...Christ still loves us. 

So, anyways...I've had a great day so far! We have been really stuck on where we were going to get the boys halloween costumes. We met a family at the park on Saturday who told us about a wonderful store downtown that has tons of costumes! So we went there today! It's not just a halloween store, but Christmas, tons of other different decorations as well..birthday, Chinese holiday's, Tons of American Flags and that sort Easter items, fall items, and ribbon like you wouldn't believe!!!! :) I LOVE this store! LOL

We will go buy the boy's costumes on Thursday or Friday. Jacob's going to be a knight! Jackson's going to be a cowboy! We will have to buy Jacob some black clothes (sweats or jeans/shirt) to go under his armor! It has a helmet, sword, and shield with it! So cute!!! He's going to be the bravest Knight! For Jack they had tons of different vests, so we picked one that we really liked, found a cowboy hat, a holster, we still have to pick a toy gun (gasp...I let my boys be boys and YES they play with guns...their Daddy is a SOLDIER and will going to WAR soon a toy gun isn't going to teach them to kill another human being, it's how we RAISE them and the VALUES and MORALS we teach them..not if we let them play with guns and swords...sorry I'm done!). We are going to go through all of Jacob's old shoes and see if any of his old Cowboy boots will fit Jackson. We have a stick pony, so when I go to take pictures I'll have him posing on his horse a few times! I wish I could have found a horse costume, because he's constantly pretending to be a horse! LOL Jacob wanted Jack to be a king...but figure next yr if they want to find costumes that go along the same or similar theme they can...they will both be quite vocal in that dept. I think, so this year MOMMY is deciding!!!

This will be our last holiday to spend with Chad before he's off for the next yr. I know Chad's having a lot of fun picking the boys costumes and I have let him have a lot of a say this time around! I can be just a tad bit controlling on the issue's when it comes to our kids and well our life in general! LOL I'm learning to ease up, let go a little! :)

 

I "used" to be on a Christian chat board, but have found that more and more it's either "lets see how we can put this person down" or lets pat this person on the back for being self-righteous and hateful...but don't anyone dare call them on those nasty little things because YOU are then being self-righteous and hateful. I finally had it when a mom who's child is allergic to dairy, goes to church and quite a few serives and activities at the church throughout the week and uses the nursery, and yet the childcare workers continued to give her child diary products (the mother wrote ON the little one's name tag..NO DAIRY) put it on the sign in sheet, and physcially told them! Yet these women who are on this Christian board tell her that she can't expect people to go and change all their snacks just for her child, even though this MOM was bringing her child SAFE snacks...but again the childcare workers were just too lazy. I watched a certain few tear this mom down, as they like to do with another young mom and make it seem like it's her fault.

It broke my heart. I definately spoke up and called them out on their words, while encouraging the mom that no she was NOT over-reacting because she was upset with the childcare workers (and other than going to the Head minister, she'd talked with everyone who has anything to do with children's ministry which is where the nursery falls under).

At what point is it ok to blame the parent who is trying to do her best for her child? At what point has it become ok to blame a little child who is just barely 2 yrs old, that it's that child's responsibility to NOT eat goldfish crackers, since they have cheese in them and give her nasty reactions that lasts days. At what point do we say that if you're leaving your child in someone else's care, they are TAKING responsibility for that child. When is it ok for other Christian mom's to put down another mom who is trying to PROTECT her child.

I know I'd be furious if someone gave Jackson juice, after I specificially told them not to, (it just runs right through the little guy). If I didn't tell them, sure that would be my fault and I've done that before, therefore it is on me because it was my fault for not telling/reminding.

I don't know maybe I'm insane, over-protective, jerk who thinks it's time for adults to stop being so freaking self centered and see that if we are going to work in a nursery,be a home day care provider, or work in a daycare center, or watch a friend's child....while that/those child(ren) are in our care they are our responsibility and that includes every single thing that goes into their mouth. If we know a child is allergic to a food, we don't feed it to them. Yes, it does seem like more and more kids are allergic to more and more things...well it is the truth, and whether we like it or not as a society, as parents, as someone who's taking on the responsibility to watch others children, we need to protect these children. We wouldn't send a 2 yr old outside to the front yard to play alone without supervision.

I don't know am I insane? Is this mom over-reacting for being upset that although she's done everything she should HAVE to do (going and talking to over 5 different people is doing what she should be doing I think!) to protect her child. She shouldn't have to sit in bible study class worrying if the nursery worker is filling her child up with cheese snacks, etc.

It's not even me, but yet it just has me so steamed up. I just don't get it. I have no quit posting on the board, because I just saw too much critizism on a mom who's only doing the best she can for her child. It is the parents job to raise their children...that's an absolute. When we put them in the care of another adult though...we shouldn't have to fear that the childcare worker will purposely harm my child with a food they know she's allergic to.

It's sad, disturbing, and just plain disgusting to me.

Well we are home from our trip! We got home on late Friday night. We had a wonderful trip! We got to Edelweiss early Thursday afternoon and I was already loving the Garmisch-Partenkirchen  area! It's beautiful and moutainous, just breath-taking area! I highly recommend going down there! :)

Anyways, we decided to rent bikes from the lodge and resort, which also is beautiful! :) So we got on the bikes and headed towards the resturant that a lady who works at Edelweiss recommended, which was clear across town (Chad said it was 7 miles tonight!). Chad decided to go down a sidestreet, which had a wonderful surprise for us at the end of it...an old wooden bridge that went over the Loisach River (one of 2 rivers that goes through town). There's a picture of it above! :)

We headed back on our route through town and found the restaurant with some help from some locals! They were so nice, and wonderfully we were only a block away! Off we went into the resturant, and all the tables were reserved. Ugh! But....they were kind and very generous to let us sit at one of the tables that was free for 2 more hours! We got there at 5:30 and the people who had reserved the table were to be arriving at 7:30. We ate, Jack got sick...he ate too fast of course, we cleaned him up, he was hungry again (only a toddler huh! LOL), the waitress was wonderful, she gave the boys sucker's and a little extra treat of chocolate! (they didn't get the chocolate right then). So we loaded the boys back into the bike trailor, Chad and I hopped back on our bikes and off we went. At this point my tush was very sore from the 7 mile trip DOWN to the restuarant, and I only made it half way until I physically could not bike anymore...my tush, thighs, and feet were just killing me. So, I walked the bike the rest of the way, except once we got back into the resort and I biked the very last little bit and parked the bike back into the bike rack. I was so very happy to be back! Then we all went and changed and went to the pool! We enjoyed the pool! Chad spent a few minutes outside in the hot tub, and then sent me out there! I loved it and wished that we could have had a chance for us to go out there together, but that's ok...we still both enjoyed it!

The next day we got up, checked out, and headed towards Neuschwanstein Castle! We drove through Austria, because it's only 1 hr drive from Edelweiss to there, going through Austria, vs driving the whole way through Germany therefrom Edelweiss! It was a beautiful and truly stunning drive through Austria! Yep, and I did it..I started singing "the sound of music" I couldn't help myself! I'm definately corny that way! I think I freaked Chad out a little when I said I'd love to live forever there! It was just so beautiful and breath-taking. My heart just leads me to the mountains. That may not make sense to a lot of people, but it just feels like I'm where I'm supposed to be when I'm up in the mountains. It's just amazing what GOD has created. We are surrounded in all this beauty. I think though, that those who have lived their whole lives in such natural beauty do not even recognize it, like those of us who have not been so richly blessed to live in that kind of beauty! Not to say that where we are from is not as beautiful, in it's own way (personally there's nothing like the beauty of the sunsetting over the waving wheat! I truly love that sight too..yes I'm a Kansas girl definately! LOL). We got to the town where Neuschwanstein is, such a cute, although definately tourist filled town! We bought tickets not only for Neuschwanstein, but also for Hohenschwangau Castle. Neuschwanstein was built by King Ludwig II(who by the way, you should definately look him up, very interesting man who died very mysteriously and tragically). Hohenschwagau, was King Maxmillian II, who was King Ludwig's father. The castles are both quite close to one another. I have not uploaded the pictures of Hohenschwagau, but will soon and will share them once I do.

Neuschwanstein is also known as the Disney Castle. Walt Disney saw Neuschwanstein, and created Sleeping Beauty Castle after Neauschwanstein! The above pictures, there's a picture of a bridge, that King Ludwig built for his mother so she could get tothe castle easier. The bridge is a good distance from the castle, yet has the most spectacular views of Neuschwanstein. The bridge is over a gorge, and is extremely HIGH above that gorge! We truly enjoyed our trip.

Our drive home, we took primarily the back roads, part of those back roads was on The Romantic Road, which was just an amazingly beautiful drive! All 3 of my "boys" fell asleep and I had such a peaceful drive. We stopped at a little bistro on our way home. Chad took over driving from there and hit the autohan in Nurenburg and got home, unpacked, and to bed not too much after getting home (even though Kelly MADE me talk to her for a little while online! ROFL!!).

AOL is being apain in some of the alerts it seems, I realized I have not been getting all my comment alerts, which is so aggrevating...but it's aol, I don't expect anything better from them anymore!

Enjoy the pictures!

Going out of town

Well in a few hours we'll be leaving for a couple of days. We're going down to Garmish to stay in a lodge and resort! I'm really excited. I will post pictures and an update when I get back. I'm sure I'll have a hundred alerts and a million emails to read! Have a GREAT Thursday and Friday!

See ya when I get back!

Football

Some of you definately know this already about me, some do not...I LOVE FOOTBALL. My favorite teams are of course my old high school team...

  Wildcats!                           yes that's my high school! lol

The Wildcats, college..my beloved Kansas State: Wildcats!

                                                             

 

Then of course, NFL: THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS. I LOVE My Chiefs...win or lose I love them. Chief fans are not like Redskin Fans and only like them when they're winning (we lived in Redskin country and they seemed far too proud of the fact that they hated their "team" when they were losing...) Chief fans are the loudest fans in the NFL, and they're known as one of, if not the best Tailgaters in NFL too! Kansas City knows BBQ, that's just a fact!

 

                                                     

So being we're no longer stationed in Kansas a sad fact is, I'll be missing some games, especially since we're now in Germany and as hard as AFN tries, they just can't put every single football game on. Thankfully my Chiefs have been on 3 times so far this season, of course how AFN works though, is that as the season progresses they start showing the teams that look like they will be in the playoff's...so of course as always I'm rooting for my Chiefs to WIN. Last night (well for me it was last night...afternoon for you in the states) they were off to an Awesome start, 24-6 at one point, then wham....an overturn and it seemed like they lost all motivation, it was just sad to watch after that and try as I might it was like watching a car accident..you don't WANT to look, but you just can't help me. Now I'm also a yeller when it comes to football (I know in this category, I'm a guys gal! LOL) so I admit it, I was yelling at my guys and by the time the last 2 minutes were up, I was just ticked and turned off the tv..of course they went and scored another touch down, but it was too late...we lost. Yes I know plenty of you don't care...but well I LOVE it and it's my journal! LOL

 

                                                      

So we're now looking forward to next week, and I just went to the Chiefs site and see that we play no other than The Washington Redskins! LOL Ok seriously when I started this entry I had NO IDEA we were playing them next week! We MUST WIN that game...my CHIEFS can NOT lose to "THEM".

 

 

 

So next Sunday, come noon Kansas Time, 7 pm Germany time...you know where I will be? Watching MY Chiefs BEAT The Redskins! I'm an opptomist when it comes to my team!

 

Well....it's time for me to concentrate on watching my movie: Fever Pitch...so far pretty good!

So next Sunday I expect all of you to be cheering for my Kansas City Chiefs and if you're not..keep it to yourself! LOL

What's It Like To Be a Christian?

A friend shared this with me tonight, I hadn't seen this in a couple yrs at least....

 

A woman was asked by a coworker, "What is it like to be a Christian?"

The coworker replied, "It is like being a pumpkin."  God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you.  Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff.

He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

 

Kelly's "Easy Like Sunday Morning"

It's Sunday, so Kelly doesn't fail! Here's her question of the week and my answer!

Here's my question of the week.  Answer it in your journal and come back here and leave me a link in the comments.  I'll post your links next weekend and we'll start over again next Sunday :-)

Tell me.....

"What does fall mean to you?  Not everybody in J-land has 4 extreme seasons, so what does the season change mean where you live?"

I love fall!  That chill in the air when you get up in the morning and the SMELL!  It all smells so clean and new.  Almost tricks you into thinking things will start to grow again.  Fall here in Michigan means lots and lots and LOTS of leaves.  And, of course, checking boots and coats and gloves and mittens to make sure you are all set for the inevitable snow that will start arriving any moment :-)  Princess has her birthday tomorrow, so we love the fall.  Halloween decorations and running in the leaves - it's the best!

Ok Fall to me, well I grew up and lived most of my life in Kansas so of course the beginning of fall almost always was still hot...I can see right now that today in Kansas the high is 91!!!! Once it starts cooling off though, it takes me back initially...to those care free days of youth, where it's cool enough that your mom is making you wear a jacket, although you know as soon as you're out of her sight that sucker's coming off (since you'll be running around and getting too hot to wear it anyways! LOL). The leaves changing colors and falling. It makes me think of high school football games. For those who really know me, like Miss Kelly does, love of football is known about me! I LOVE football. I loved being in high school and knowing that Friday nights was going to be a blast at the football field..win or lose it was always fun and of course afterwards was even better! LOL I was a little ummm..wild in my teenage years!

Now, it makes me think of leaves falling and rain. Rain every day. In Germany it rains everyday almost during October and November! It makes the air have that wonderful fresh smell. The leaves are dropping like mad here too, they're all turning yellow and covering the ground.

Just an added bonus, I have a picture that as my mom said "reminds me of the morton salt picture" , but it's my 4 yr old, Jacob at the rose garden yesterday!