HIghlights from Thanksgiving

• safe travel to Iowa
• meeting my new cousin Katie adopted from China
• spending time with my grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, mom, dad, and brother
• watching my Uncle Bob with my boys! He taught them so much and is so patient.
  
• YUMMY FOOD!!!!
• Christmas shopping for our boys on Black Friday with Matt.
• playing Dominoes with Aunt, Joy, Aunt Jeri, Uncle Jim, mom, Kyle, & Matt
  
• watching all 3 boys take a ride up high in Uncle Bob's Cherry Picker!
  
• having so much fun that I didn't even have a chance to break out my camera!!!!
  

Halloween Costumes 2009

Jaden as Indiana Jones with our buddy Cody dressed as Peter Pan!

Jakob dressed as Luke Skywalker and below is our little Yoda! (yoda costume hand made with love by his Nana) We just weren't quite ready for our little guy to wear a big boy costume yet and he wasn't fitting into the baby ones anymore. Ok, Ok.... MOMMY wasn't ready for Jameson to be in a big boy costume yet so Nana made him one. The big kid Yoda just wasn't nearly as cute!

More Pictures from Dresden

Dresden, Ohio Trip

Kari tapping away to finish off.

Mom weaving away!

Our Group of 27 ladies!

My mom and I took a long over due trip back to Dresden, Ohio for some quality time together. The last time we took this trip was in November of 1998 just months after Matt and I were married. It was so much fun that we have been talking about re-visiting ever since. Finally almost 11 years later we made it back. A lot had changed with the little town of Dresden. The economy had gotten the best of this little town and lots of the shops were closed down. The shopkeepers were thrilled to see our tour bus arrive and opened up their stores at times just for us. We also visited the Longaberger Home Office which seemed much larger the first time we visited. Kind of funny how that happens. It was still as cool as ever. The Homestead was new to us and we got to shop in the Factory Store and scored some great bargins there. Mom and I also made our very own Longaberger Baskets just as we had done in 1998. This time with more selections on colors and extra features. We had a really great time!

September Pictures

Jameson using his 3-D Chalk that he got for his birthday!

The 3-D glasses that came with his sidewalk chalk.

My oh so photogenic children totally thrilled about stopping to take a group picture at Monkey Joes!!!

There we go! Jameson cheesing for the camera at Monkey Joes!

I know that I haven't posted pictures in a really long time. These pictures are from September. My camera's battery went kaput and so photo taking came to a hault. We are back in business though just in time for my shopping trip to Dresden, Ohio with my mom. I will be sure to post them when I return.

October 15th

Today is a special day to me. It is Infant Loss Awareness Day! Many women that I know, myself included have been forced to endure such a painful thing when we have lost our children. I hope that you all will remember those precious babies today. Those that we didn't get to hold and those that we only held for a moment. We had hopes and dreams for their little lives! They are safe in the arms of our Father in Heaven. Thank you Jesus!

We remember them today, but as a parent who has lost children there isn't a day or moment that goes by where I am not thinking of my precious children. Sometimes it feels like I am the only one who does remember them because they were mine and I was the one that carried them. I hope this is not the case. Please say a prayer today for all those mommies and daddies who have suffered such painful losses.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:13-16

Gratitude List

I got this idea from my friend Betsy. It is a great way to count our many blessings even when life seems so mundane sometimes.

1. I am grateful for the cooler weather, and my boys going out to play football in the yard with daddy!

2. I am grateful for a wonderful group of friends that love me just the way I am.

3. I am grateful for an afternoon tea party with those lovely ladies!!!

4. I am grateful for my church family and all the little ones that I minister to.

5. I am grateful for my Bailee and the fact that she is getting better on her medicine.

6. I am grateful for my husband who works so hard to provide for our family!