Beautiful Fall~~

"Time is a very precious gift of God, so precious that it's

only given to us moment by moment"

Amelia Barr

So it has been a week of ups and downs. But we have just been living each and everyday!! I was able to take the kids out to Pioneer Ridge to get a few fun fall pictures and climb in some trees! The kids were just having a blast running around like crazy!!! They just cracked me up!!! This weekend we didn't do too much, we stayed around home and Mommy was sick on Sunday, so she just layed around the house trying not to get to close to the kids and get them sick.
The sun was out and beautiful on Saturday!!! Mommy had a race in Des Moines for Race for the Cure and the weather was much warmer in the afternoon than 4:30 am when we left for the race.
Playing in the leaves... our house only really has one tree that produces many trees so we piled them up high and ran through them. Just have to watch out for the dog poop!! OOPS!!!! :-)

Friday night we had a few friends over to help carve pumpkins... it REALLY helped having the extra hands to carve while we kept the kids controlled! We also baked pumpkin seeds and made caramel apples. The kitchen was a mess, but we had alot of fun!! Thanks to all those friends who stopped over to lend a hand...... your friendship is precious!

We carved 5 pumpkins and they were great... Chaney even carved a John Deere logo out of a pumpkin!!! It brings back memories of carving pumpkins with Brooke, faith and Jacob in Columbus!!! Nate wasn't as patient as he has been in the past making his very elaborate pumpkins.... 3 kids will do that to you, you don't get 3 hours to carve anymore!!!! Here is a preview of their costumes -- X is black Spiderman (the evil one!!) R is Cinderella, and G is Snow White... Baby Colt as you can see is a adorable monkey!!!! The kids are hard to keep out of their costumes... especially our little prince with his fake muscles.



Saturday Night -- is trick or treating here in Ottumwa, so the kids are looking forward to it. The keep talking about getting candy... the trick will be hiding the candy and limiting their intake of sweets!


We will keep you posted on what is going on next week..... until then

Happy Halloween!

We don't remember days, We remember moments.

Author Unknown

Quad Cities

We made it to the QC by 8 pm on Friday night. We checked into the Stoney Creek inn and crashed in the hotel room with the kids. Saturday we woke up and walked over to the John Deere Pavilion. the kids liked seeing the John Deere tractors and wanted to climb up on every one. We then headed back to the hotel for a nap before the wedding. We decided to take the kids to the ceremony and then bring them to our friend's house during the ceremony. They did very well..... and were just dying to go see their friends Zack and Jenna after church. When we got there they were old friends. Shouting and playing and we knew they were in good hands.

We picked the kids up early the next morning and they seemed to behave and act very well. We had a few moments were they were trying our authority over Todd and Janice... but for the most part they were excellent. It seems that the first slumber party was a success!! Now it is time for laundry and putting this house back in order.

5 loads of laundry done..... 2 more to go...... until more laundry is made!!! :-(

Columbus -- Our next stop!!

Columbus was our next stop on our week long trip. We stayed at my sister kathy's house tuesday night until Friday. We ransacked her fridge, played with all her toys, and pretty much went through her house like a tornado! Nate was down in Columbus at Ohio State recruiting with John Deere so this was a perfect week that he only had to take 1 day vacation and we could spend the whole week in Ohio. The weather did not cooperate though! The kids did get outside everyday but we had to bundle them up, in hats and gloves. They played soccer outside -- which they are really getting the hang of kicking the ball!



On Wednesday night Beth and Baby Lincoln made it down as well. They stayed over night so the kids got to spend a little more time with them. On thursday the weather was so bad that kathy had Dawn come over and give us pedicures!! What an awesome thing -- thanks bunches Kathy!!! My feet needed a little pampering ;-) The funniest thing is that when Dawn came in the house, xavier was just staring at her and was mesmerized and then said to me in a whisper "she looks like Hannah Montana!!" What a cutie!!

The kids also were able to meet Dennis, Denise and all the kids. It was good to see Faith able to play with some kids her size for once at a family gathering... it Will be nice now at chirstmas and thanksgivings!!

Thursday i took the kids down to OSU to pick nate up after his interviews.... we made a pitstop and got a picture on campus. The kids had so much fun picking out all the Ohio State Symbols all over campus. AND OF COURSE everyone on campus was wearing Buckeyes stuff so they pointed that out as well!

Friday we packed up the car once again, and headed out. Nate had interviews until 11:30 am and then we picked him up and took him to lunch before we left Columbus. We ate at Johnny Rockets and the Kids just loved it!! The music they danced too, they got chocolate shakes, they got ketchup in the shape of smiley faces and even the waitresses danced!! What a fun place for kids!

We then headed to the QC for Kara and Scott's wedding.

Home Again!!!

WOW! It feels good to be home again! I was really sick of living out of our suitcase and having to fit all of our stuff inside our car packed in like sardines! Good thing is... I have started a list of all the things i really don't have to bring next time we travel. Of course - i overpacked like usual!! ;-) But you have to realize that as an individual I always overpacked -- when i would travel i would take maybe 3 pairs of shoes home for a 3 day weekend! So know that i have kids it is only fitting that i pack WAY too much for them right!!

We had been in Ohio since last Friday. The traveling went very well. We gave Rosetta Dramamine before we got in the car and she was definitely much better. We knew when she was sick before because she would be really quiet and wouldn't talk..... there was a transformation this trip because in the car she would just start singing random songs... making them up as she goes. I think this may sound familiar ... because i am pretty sure i did this as a child. My personal favorite of hers is ... " God is great, God is good, I love mommy, and Daddy SOOOOOO much!!" She sang that over and over. What a Doll!!! I had my 10 year reunion on Saturday October 10th, and that was a good time. Not many people showed up, but it was really good to see some of the girls I haven't seen in forever! FYI - i won an award for traveling the farthest to the reunion! ;-) We golfed that afternoon and I didn't do that bad! In fact our team used 3 of my drives..... i was using Mom's driver and it felt GREAT!! I loved the sound of the ball hitting the club head... it sounded like an aluminum bat hitting a baseball! My clubs from Wal-Mart don't make that sound!!! :-(

On Sunday the 11th - we went to Nate's Aunt and Uncle's 25th Wedding Anniversary and got to meet some of the extended family. The kids did really great and were playing with some of the kids. They also would come over to me and ask to be taken to the potty or be given a hug. After the anniversary party we spent some time at mom and dad's. While the kids were sleeping we even got in a gave of pinochle.... which i don't think we quite finished.... but dad and i defiantly won!! ;-) The kids played on the swing set and walked around the pond and even tried to feed the fish. Grandma and Grandpa spent some time trying to do puzzles with Rosetta and Xavier. Dad was really trying his best to teach Rosetta how to to the border first then work in the inside... i don't think she hasn't gotten the idea quite yet.

Monday night -- we invited Keith and Annrea and Erin and Ryan over for some pizza, and Jeff and Ash and Beth and Scott made it too!! It was so much fun to spend some time chit chatting and seeing the kids play so well together in the next room. The kids also made cookies with Pam that weekend all taking turns rolling the cookies into balls! They have a blast every time i let them help me cook.

Then it was off to Columbus Tuesday morning, pack the bags, pack the car, say good-bye, and move on to the next stop!!

Little Brothers

Life gave me a brother To teach me about life
He loves and aggravates me And gives me strength and strife.
Thank goodness for little brothers They are special as can be
Don't mess with my little brother Or you'll have to deal with me.

No more pull-ups... equals awesome weekend

So.... we started really hardcore potty training last week. I decided i wasn't going to go anywhere and we put underwear on all of the kids (rosetta has been wearing big girl pants for weeks with no accidents) The first couple days were messy, and we had a hard time getting xavier to go on the poop on the potty... but after many minutes sitting on the potty and reading books...... we had a breakthrough!!!

Now, after 6 days we have been pull-up free!!!! We have an occasional accident but for the most part i think the hard part is over. I even went out an ran errands with them all morning yesterday and there were NO accidents!!! (I still carry an extra pair of pants in the diaper bag... not 100% confident yet) Who said this pottty training thing is hard? ;-)


Look at Glorianna's face in this pic...... priceless... what a ham!!

This weekend went to fast! Saturday the kids went with us to the oktoberfest parade (Mommy had to walk in the parade at the Komen float) It was pretty crummy out so nate just stayed with the kids a little bit, to get a little candy and i took the truck home 2 1/2 hours later!


Then Saturday night, we had a few friends over to have a campfire and roast marshmallows! It was fun, the kids had lots of kids to play with and were really worn out when they went to bed. The yard was a wet mess....so the house was a disaster when everyone left... but so worth watching the kids run around and play nicely with the kids. Rosetta even said before she went to bed that "she had a really fun time with all her friends and want to play with them again and invite them to her birthday party."

Sunday, we very last minute decided to go to Des Moines. We ate breakfast and decided to head up there and meet in the afternoon a family friend of the kids, who have helped us get some background and who we have been in contact with. We first went to the mall and while nate and i took turns getting a few things.... the kids played in the play area... until there was a biohazard and the whole area had to be cleared out!! LOL

Then we met Vicki, Tobey, and their son Joey at a playground in Des Moines. The kids had a wonderful time sliding down the slides, stealing Tobey's hat, and playing tag. The weather was perfect fall weather... a little chilly but perfect with a sweatshirt on!!!

We made it home sunday night in enough time too get our pjs on and play a little before bed time. Yesterday, monday, the kids and i ran errands..... and then in the afternoon the kids and i did yard work... we butchered some of my trees, picked up weeds, and mowed the grass. When daddy came home we were all outside.... rosetta was sweeping the driveway, glorianna was helping me with weeds, xavier was raking leaves (more putting the rake in the tree and getting it stuck!) and daddy was weed eating. It was actually a pretty funny site... and we would have pictures if we weren't all busy doing yard work!!!! ;-)

Today, the plans are to stay in the house... it doesn't look to pretty outside. And of course, mommy needs to continue packing for our trip this weekend.

We will keep you posted!!!

Thanks for looking....