Good News.

Barb came through her surgery with flying colors and might be home tomorrow! We love you Barb, You are an inspiration:)

Sad News.

Today, we lost (and the world lost) a mentor and friend. Eckart Horn (our young Church pastor) collapsed suddenly this morning passed away. Please pray for his family, wife and four young children. We are attending the prayer service tonight. It's wierd, last night I went to Karen's blog and I was Listening to tired of Wasting time . And Eckart's last Sermon this past Sunday (below) it's almost as if God's words were on his lips speaking to his own family. Life is not fair. These upcoming holidays just won't be the same......

It’s this time of the year again ..a difficult time for some and for others a good time ….one more Sunday ..Christ the King Sunday ..Thanks Giving and then the church year is over. In 2 weeks all starts again with Advent and a new Birth at Christmas.

Transition is the theme and the joys and difficulties of it ..the hopes and the despair ..both, side by side like the 2 lessons we heard from Isaiah and Luke. They talk about how bad things can become and about how well/good all matter of things will be. They talk about despair and hope, death and resurrection, Good Friday and Easter Morning. They talk about birthing pains ..transitions and change, they talk about humans and God.

How does one feel when you see your whole world falling apart in and around you? How do those Haitian people feel now ..who lost everything? How do you live with famine ..deadly floods and war?

But we do not need to go to other countries …..How do we live with the death of a child? How do we live with divorce ..addiction and lonliness ..a terminal illness.

I think we all in our lifes sooner or later come across something we call despair. Maybe not as grand in the headlines as in earthquakes ..tsunamies ..wars and the likes ..more quieter ..like a more privat loss of some kind /may it have been a patient ..or a beloved career, a partner ..a loved one. It can also be the loss of Hope or Joy, meanng and purpose ..and suddenly we find ourselves after much struggle – loud or quietly - eye to eye with despair ..eye to eye with not knowing what to do. For many Christmas and ThanksGiving can be such a time where we come eye to eye with our lonliness, grief and tears; inescapable it comes every year.

And around and into those moments of despair is what those 2 lessons are trying to speak to. The Gospel in no uncertain terms tells us that life can be bad / very bad ..and if we think its bad ..it can come worse. Life is not like a sight seeing trip .. like the deciples admire what they see .. it can be bad ..desolete ..lonly and full of pain and injustice! But this is just one side ..though a side that must be seen, faced, acknowledge ..like good Friday ..before the other side ..the end of the story ..Easter …can unfold. And that Easter we hear in the lesson of Isaiah.

Isaiah 65:17-25

For I am about to create new heavens

and a new earth;

the former things shall not be remembered

or come to mind.

But be glad and rejoice forever

in what I am creating;

for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy,

and its people as a delight.

I will rejoice in Jerusalem,

and delight in my people;

no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it,

or the cry of distress.

No more shall there be in it

an infant that lives but a few days,

or an old person who does not live out a lifetime;

for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,

and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.

They shall build houses and inhabit them;

they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

They shall not build and another inhabit;

they shall not plant and another eat;

for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,

and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

They shall not labor in vain,

or bear children for calamity;

for they shall be offspring blessed by the LORD--

and their descendants as well.

Before they call I will answer,

while they are yet speaking I will hear.

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,

the lion shall eat straw like the ox;

but the serpent-- its food shall be dust!

They shall not hurt or destroy

on all my holy mountain, says the LORD.

There will be justice …there will be peace ….there will be joy and Love!

No story ends with despair ..despair is not the last thing, it might feel like it ..it might taste like it and it might look like it. Jesus felt it and we feel it! And in the same way Jesus surrendered to the will of God we can do that too …we can surrender all those feelings and emotions to God. And when we do that ..when we really let go of all that brought or pushed us to that place of despair a sudden transition takes place ..it comes quietly ..bits and pieces of silence ..and peace ..like first light after a very dark night.

If we don’t let God into those places ..things will not change ….so in regards to the upcoming Christmas/Holiday season …. Let God into your lonliness ..into all the pain and memories ..let God walk you through it ……step by step ..and you will feel bits and pieces of silence and peace and once God walked you through, the despair will be gone!, peace will have steped into its place.

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982.

Being a Mom Means experiencing moments of Great beauty, amazing tenderness, sticky kisses and a miracle or two all in a single day.

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We're doing THIS project this year (along with our gratitude box that we started a few years ago.)

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He's into......

Orgami Yoda "the popular" book (he made about 100 of them) by looking the how to video up on You Tube

Long Hair (god help me)

The Lightning Thief Series of books.

Harry Potter the movies.

and a story...... Trevor, when you went to give me a hug the other night before you were getting ready for bed it was the best thing ever (I don't get a lot of hugs from my big boy anymore). Anyway, it was a super LONG hug and I wasn't letting go. As I squeezed tight, I could feel, there just wasn't an ounce of baby in you left, you are so big. Promise me, that you'll never stop hugging your Mom.....

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Spending a lot of time in Lowe's today after church. Scoping out some Christmas gear (new LED lights) and supplies and paint for our downstairs bathroom remodel next weekend-Exciting!

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Today.

The third annual Maine Down Syndrome Network conference.

This year our teachers were there (Breanna's K teacher, special Ed teacher, OT and Gym teacher!). Inspiring as always. Susan Shapiro's workshop on Friendships was amazing, I could have listened to her all day. We have a LONG way to go.

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Life is Difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. Once we truly know that life is difficult--once we truly understand and accept it--then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters."

-M. Scott Peck

A story.

The other day, I was in volunteering in Breanna's classroom. When the kids went off to gym class I stayed behind with Cherie (Breanna's Aide in the classroom) and she was showing me some of the things Breanna was doing (writing, her using a timer etc...). When I went to leave, Cherie suddenly put her hand to her chest and tears started welling up in her eyes and she said, "I just LOVE your daughter, I can't explain it, but just being with her is an awesome experience, I look forward to my everyday.....I just feel like she is such a blessing." Now there are so many hard things about having a child with Down Syndrome....making our way through the major language delay, the extra patience needed to teach things, the lack of Independence, thinking about the future, shorter lifespan, loneliness, medical needs etc.... There is a lot of sadness, and sometimes envy, there is a heavy weight on my shoulders. There is a lot of thinking and saying "it is so unfair". But, having a child that just touches everyone they meet, from the librarian, to the gym teacher, the kids in the school , therapists, bus driver, etc, etc.....it is an amazing blessing. A child, who, with all her limitations, has the capacity to bring out the best in people. Everywhere we go, everyone "knows" Bre. She is a part of something so much bigger than the rest of us are. She has so much to teach the world. And That, is what I take with me to get through these times. Thank you Cherie, and Thank you Breanna for letting me share my life with yours.

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Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. ~Mary Oliver

I'm sad today is over. It was just one of those days where I stopped and payed attention, where I wish I had videotaped the little things and the stuff the kids said so I could replay them over and over in my mind.

We took a long walk in the woods and discovered an "I love this place" in a pit with some mud and rock walls.

Trevor made up a long story on the way home that he will write down "someday"

We discovered that acorns float sometimes and it's really cool to watch them flow down a stream (but sticks and leaves don't work as well).

We brought back big leaves and sticks and acorns

We made turkeys out of our handprints

We made really good hot chocolate (using real melted chocolate)

We read books and looked at toy catalogs

Trevor was singing some alphabet song that Gammie taught him ALL DAY

We decided that we wanted our own typewriter (Gammie do you have one?)

We played "Harry potter" outside and made magic wands out of some sticks that we picked up on our walk

We listened to Pandora radio all day

We made a leaf pile and jumped in it

We played blocks by the fire

We had warm taco soup for dinner

We rode bikes in the circle after dark

WE soaked our feet and rubbed backs before bed.

Someone decided that he "learned more at home" than he did in school (I don't think so)

I love days off with nothing else to do.

Thank You. (God Bless our troops)

Pause the Music below.

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And we came home th THIS on Monday. Apparently the wind was pretty bad around here over the weekend. (Those are roots to trees that were ripped out of the ground in our back woods).

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Grand parenting is not about repeating what you did as a parent, it is about embracing the values and beliefs that your children have for parenting their children....

-Jeanne Lausure

Weekend at the grandparents.

There is nothing better (or more relaxing) for children, than (a little) time away from Mom and Dad. Thanks Mom and Dad.....for taking them bowling, and for walks, for remembering to put on their shoes:), and taking the time to show them about the things you love, They'll never forget it.

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Last night......getting ready for our last night out with Ben and Jess in the city. What a fabulous time-Thank you guys so much! Today......

The LONG drive home (and we can't wait to see the kids!!)

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The details (in his words).

• Walked WAAAY too much around Manhattan on Sat before the race - my legs hurt so bad sitting in Times Square at the end of the day.
• Awesome pasta dinner at Angelo's of Mulberry in Little Italy on Sat.
• "Practicing" the drive to the IZOD center on Sat night - twice..
• Waking Cindy up at 4:45 so she could drop me off at the IZOD center to get the bus to Staten Island.
• Walking from the bus drop off in the cold darkness and seeing the Verrazano Bridge as a backdrop of the athlete village.
• After seeing the Verrazano Bridge, seeing the mobile Dunkin Donuts truck was equally as exciting.
• The excitement of being called to the wave 1 start and entering the corral.
• The news helicopters circling above minutes before the start just thinking about how many people were watching at that moment.
• Climbing the Verrazano Bridge to start the race - what a rush (though I did start out a little faster than I should have and paid for it in Central Park)
• The 30 or so guys peeing 2 miles into the race on the bridge - and some other guy stopping to turn around and take a picture - NICE!
• Brooklyn
• Queens
• The (*^$(#)& Queensborough Bridge.
• The amazing greeting making the turn onto First Ave in Manhattan - if that doesn't get you excited something is wrong with you.
• More people than I have ever seen in my life cheering the runners on all the way up First Ave into the Bronx.
• A quick mile or so in the Bronx and then back to Manhattan into Central Park.
• Lots of pain around mile 22 just thinking that I still had 4 miles to go.
• Forgot about the pain in Central Park south approaching Columbus Circle - so many people cheering - WOW!!
• Finally, the finish line - 3:55
• ... then the hardest part of the entire day. The walk after the race to get my checked bag and FINALLY exiting Central Park on 89th street wondering if I could stand up any longer. I swear that was a 1 1/2 mile walk.
• A quick subway ride to Port Authority then a bus back to NJ and I was back in my hotel room....
• ... to get ready for an awesome dinner with Ben/Jess in Manhattan.
• After a great dinner, we packed up Mon AM and headed back to pick the kids up in MA (we missed them so much - but liked eating out 3 nights in a row :) )

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The details. (in my own words)

• The day before the race (we probably walked around too much-but how could you not.)
• The enormity of this place is overwhelming at first
• the quick bus ride from our hotel (12-15 mins)
• shopping and seeing the sights
• Loving FAO Schwartz and the Lego store and missing the kids.
• Time Square and Rockefeller Center
• "A symphony of diversity"
• Figuring out the subway
• Angelo's on Mulberry street (the BEST Italian food ever)
• How all the restaurants downtown could use a little more elbow room
• "resting" in Time square
• Finding the drop off spot
• The cheesecake
• always going the wrong way when we got off the subway
• Not going to the race, but loving every minute of relaxing in the hotel, tracking the runners online and watching it on TV
• An amazing Dinner and night out in the city with Jess and Ben (thank You) and the $25 bottles of wine.
• The nice man who helped us not miss the last bus of the night back to the hotel.
• Seeing the kids (and getting lots of Hugs and kisses) after three days away.
• Coming home and having a week off of running (And J just signed up for his next race!)

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The kids are dropped off at Gammie's house, we're here in NYC and we're getting ready for the big race day!

365::305

Leaving........

tomorrow bound for the NYC marathon this Sunday! Bre's teacher helped her make this sign at school, don't they look excited for their Dad?

funny.

Inspiration for Your lunch.

This woman has 5 kids 5 and under......

and writes.....

The truth is though, it IS hard to be a mother. It isn't an easy job because I think it's 24/7 emotionally and physically demanding, and we have our hearts at stake from the time we see that little double line on the pregnancy test, to the time we...well, leave this earth. It's 24/7 for the REST OF OUR LIVES...in different ways of course..maybe the physical demands of the early years taper off while the emotional demands grow...the dance of keeping hold while letting go permeates into our days slowly as theses little ones become teenagers, then adults.

And some days I find myself complaining about so much...and not even out loud, but in my head...my brain and heart sometimes feel like there is NOT enough of me. The house that only stays straightened for minutes, the meals I never really get to enjoy, the fact that I am always, always NEEDED. I could go on and on...and I don't think I could really stop till I am dead in the ground. I could always find something to complain about if I wanted to, right?

I once read an article about how changing the words from "I have to" to "I get to" works for just about everything. It's a magic switch. I try this when I remember to and it really does work for everything and my mind immediately flips from that of a complaining, negative spirit to one of gratefulness and really, pure joy that I GET to be alive, I GET to call these children mine, I GET to feed them, I GET to watch them grow, I GET to create a loving, safe, beautiful environment for all of us to be together. And yes, that might mean that I GET to awaken at 6:30 am to fix sandwiches, I GET to wipe a toddler's bottom for the umpteenth time in my life, and I GET to sweep the kitchen floor. The alternative being what? I don't want anything to do with that alternative.

When I think of not being here to do those things, or not have the children to do these things for, my heart breaks. I want to be grateful for every day I get to mother these five wonderful children of mine. They truly are a gift to me...they have given me way more than I could ever return.

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Trevor: "Mom....You know the best thing about it being THIS cold..." (notice, no winter coat needed yet, but the hat is OK)

Me: What's that?

Trevor: "You won't get a brain freeze"

You gotta love 8 year old boys....

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Welcome November.....the season of thankfulness.

Our professional family photo session didn't exactly work out this year, BUT we ended up with these:) I was so busy setting up outfits and cameras I totally forgot about makeup for me! Oh, well, even though most of the leaves were already down and it was windy and cold, I still love these, and it's our fall tradition!

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Halloween 2010

We remember:

How we were the first one's out in the neighborhood

How it was so cold out, our hands were numb

Prince Caspian, Thomas the train and Spiderman (who lost the mask after one house)

digging into the candy when we got home

Our neighbor Sharon with her rolling wagon of Cosmo's and stuffed bread (LOVE her!)

Trevor getting to go out alone with a friend (and his much older sister) after we headed home to watch the rest of the game (go Pats!)

Josh actually admitting he like Halloween (for a second)

Breanna and Lucas saying, "trick or treat"

LOVING our warm fire when we got home.

Telling scary stories in bed with flashlights (a new tradition)

Planning our haunted house for next year.

How fun it is to have little kids (and to be one too!)

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In a dark, dark wood there was a dark, dark house;

And in the dark, dark house there was a dark, dark room;

And in the dark, dark room there was a dark, dark cupboard;

And in the dark, dark cupboard there was a dark, dark shelf;

And on the dark, dark shelf there was a dark, dark box; And in the dark, dark box there was a....ghost!

Happy Halloween!

365::300

It's beginning to look a lot like Halloween around here! Josh takes great pride in carving our pumpkins every year. Each child picked out their own design (that seemed to suit each of them perfectly). Trevor wanted scary, Breanna a classic and Lucas.....well, he wanted the "funny face". We added a spider to our "web" and filled the candy bowl. We even had a practice round of trick-or-treating at our own door (we had the costumes already on for a Halloween party) because some kids need extra practice to know what to do, and other kids need extra practice at saying thank you. Have fun tomorrow!

365::299

(quote taken from Mom to Mom of Me newsletter article by E.R......)

"We're friends, right?"

"No, we're not friends, we're brothers. That means I'll love you no matter what......and I'll hit you."

365::298

THIS kid.

HAS to do EVERYTHING himself (including the whole bedtime routine buttons and all). I'm glad he's so independent, but I need to remind myself of the EXTRA patience that takes....

love this.

Guster- Bad Bad World from Softshell Productions on Vimeo.

This......is how I want to live my life:)

365::297

Brothers.......a love hate relationship at times. Now that Lucas climbs into the TOP BUNK by himself now (Yikes), you guys are enjoying many games of "airplane" "fort" and "tickle fest" Love that.

365::296

Top: Breanna (she's not a big fan of the friuts and veggies, but usually finishes them when she's prompted to come back to the table).

Right: Trevor: plate and cup are empty

Lucas: really into fruit and veggies, not so much the main dish or the milk (but he will get mad when his food is cleared from the table)

365::295

seeing your guys playing and making forts in the woods really brings me back to my childhood days. I think I spent half my life doing that.....

365::294

AFTER, making breakfast and lunch and cleaning up, cleaning and shining the floors, doing the laundry, getting a surprise visit from DAD, stacking the wood outside cleaning up the woods for two hours and getting some new chairs for our table......we're ready for the big game!

Sundays=Patriots football!

365::293

Fall 2010

Fall 2005

there is nothing like Fall in New England......

Hay rides, hot apple cider, fresh popcorn, the pumpkin patch, corn mazes, apples, farms, hiking, cool breezes, coats, hats and red cheeks, the smell of campfires burning, and

Pumpkin valley Farm. I think the last time we visited this place, Trevor was maybe three and we carried Breanna in a backpack through the corn maze. Trevor got a bloody lip tripping in the pumpkin patch. This time, Everyone picked out their own pumpkin (sort of), and Breanna almost gotten eaten by a goat. And looking back to find that picture of the last time we were here, it was just another reminder of how fast the time has gone by:(

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Lucas, Self portrait Age 3 1/2

To Moms of girls.....

Read To Thine own Self be true here.

365::291

Today.....

we saw a rainbow in the sky, by the time we got the camera, it had faded quite a bit, but it's still pretty cool!

Happy Anniversary!

I can’t repay the lessons That you taught when I was small.

Or give you gift for gift The daily treasures I recall...

I can’t return encouragement And loving words of praise.

In quite the way you did for me Through all my childhood days.

But there is one gift that I can give, It’s all the love you’ve earned.

For love is what you always taught... And love is what I learned.

Happy 37th Anniversary Mom and Dad!!!

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I Love......

How you call today, "this day"

How today at lunch I was reading a magazine and you had to get one too to "read"

How you Love to do puzzles now by yourself

How following me around the house and helping me with all my "chores" is the highlight of your day (including digging rocks in the backyard)

And How during these chores is when the best conversations happen

How three is hard and easy all at the same time

All the little projects you bring home from school and how excited you are to show them to me when I Pick you up....

Your little smiling face

Your belly laughs

That a pile of leaves is your key to happiness.

That being your Mom is the best ever.

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Love this picture of the three of you:)

Great kids!

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I LOVE......

that you are helping me every night with my December Daily album foundation as part of our "special time"

that you ask me to draw with you at night

that you are reading 400 page books now

How you say "hi Mom"

that you help your brother and sister

that you are a popular kid b/c you are nice to everyone

that you hold Lucas' hand on the couch when you watch movies together

that you are getting better at helping with chores like making your own bed b/c you like to.

that your hands remind me of Jeff's when he was little

you.

365::287

Your sixth Birthday Party....

On a brisk and windy October day yesterday.

Cousins. Friends. Ice cream. Presents. Playing. In the end, you were happy b/c you got ice cream and got to watch a Thomas. Next year, I promise you girl we will have a big bash with ALL your friends from school...... I promise:)

And today....Sunday we have a neighborhood party to celebrate Brain getting well again and beating cancer (and to that beautiful NEW backyard). Another article of interest. Thank God for this post which I so needed today when I'm frustrated to tears with one little three year old.

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Today was the last Dance class of the session and we got to have a sneak peek!

My girl had fun, she was laying on the ground for some of it, off on her own for some of it, and looking at herself stick her tongue out in the mirror for the rest of it. She did manage a few dance moves (btw, the crown lasted for about five minutes). But the best thing about this class (and this set of parents) is that no one is talking about how their kids are going to go on and be professional ballerinas someday. We're just clapping loudly and cheering for all the kids as they attempt one small jump across a tiny "lake" (scarf) in the middle of the room, even if it takes two grownups to help them across. I say, Thank God that we have each other:)

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Random.

Lucas said to me today as we were in the car driving to the store and we passed a school bus, "Mom, In two years I'm going to be taking that bus." Really, already?

We were walking home from the bus stop and Trevor says to me" Mom it was so cool, we made a drawing of an apple in art with oil pastels, and it REALLY looks like an apple" (I love it when you actually tell me the little details about school)

I passed a bumper sticker the other day that said, "Well behaved women rarely make history"

Lucas eats peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast and always wants warm juice

We're dressed for the rain today.

I got a really nice compliment from a friend today.

tomorrow we're having, "real waffles" for breakfast ans we get to watch Breanna's dance class (and take pictures!)

I got more calls from the school this week that I would like...

We're having Breanna's birthday party tomorrow, she's having ice cream instead of cake (she doesn't like cake)......and I don't have a thing planned other than the ice cream.

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Miracles in Every Day (From Daily OM) Joy Always Beholding the joy that surrounds us may seem easy, but for some it can take an effort, an effort worth making. It is the everyday aspects of our lives that bring us the most joy, even if at first it may seem natural to expect our feelings of happiness to come from the larger events in our lives. By noticing how small things can fill our days with delight, we are more likely to experience the wonder of living. Once we take the time to look around and witness the beauty, kindness, and laughter that envelop us, what may seem like the ordinariness of the everyday becomes filled with the extraordinary detail of each individual moment. If we bring this sense of awareness to our lives for even a few minutes each day, we will begin to see how just blessed we truly are. Beholding the joy that surrounds us may initially seem easy, but for some it can take a conscious effort to make it a part of a daily routine. When you awake in the morning and set the intention to notice more joy in the world, watch how your day and, eventually, your life is filled with more joy. The more we do this the more apt we will be to notice the sounds of children laughing or the sparkle of dewdrops on a flower petal. Allow this joy to fill your heart fully, and from there it will naturally expand to your entire body and then spread to others, giving them joy as well. Taking in the small joys of each day expands our feeling of being connected with the world, especially once we become more attuned to them. With each passing day, we will find that these small delights, which bring a deeper level of appreciation for everything the universe has given to our lives, are miracles.

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I LOVE these boots (they are perfect Goodwill find for preschool and the wet outdoors). I LOVE the time that we have been spending together these last few weeks (walks in the woods, playing football, working in the yard, going to the library, doing puzzles). I'm going to miss you when I go back to work tonight:(

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Today.

An after school game of soccer football with my boy and my girl (while my other boy was at his last soccer practice). We ran, we tackled (Breanna wanted Lucas to tackle her), we laughed, and we did victory dances until our cheeks were red and our noses were runny from the cold. Sweet fall memories.

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Today.....

was about working in the yard. We cut down a tree out front and planted a new one out back. THIS boy, helped all day, digging up rocks, moving sticks, planting bulbs. He was one tired cookie by the end of the night (and so was I!) Manual labor, getting dirty and smelly and not showering until the end of the day, it feels good knowing we did it all ourselves....and hopefully we're passing that on to our kids:)

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10/10/10

My thirty sixth birthday.

Michelle and the kids made me breakfast in bed!

I got to go for a walk in the woods.

I got two beautiful new necklaces which mean soooo much to me, one with the kids names engraved and another pendant with the kids birthstones.

Josh surprised me with a babysitter and a night out at Walter's restaurant downtown....and afterward, we started our Christmas shopping (a little).

Thanks guys, for the presents, facebook messages, calls, breakfast, and dinner it was the best birthday ever!

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The note Trevor left Breanna yesterday. i LOVE this:)

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A birthday pancake with the candle zero on it (b/c that's all I could find!) How is that for extravagant and well planned out!

You had a good day, your friends sang happy birthday to you at school (you had a half day), You have a complete new set of Thomas the Tank toys, books, and movies, and you got to have ice cream, vanilla(you are not a cake person)

And as a good friend told me today, " She is such a blessing in your family life in so many ways."

Love you, Girl!

365::277 Almost six!

For the day you were born:

“The moments we enjoy most as they unfold, and that we treasure long afterward, are the ones we experience most deeply. Depth roots us in the world, gives life substance and wholeness. It enriches our work, our relationships, everything we do. It’s the essential ingredient of a good life and one of the qualities we admire most in others.”

William Powers.

October 2004 (Journal excerpts)

"Nothing about this week is what I had planned on....We cried, the rest was a blur, a very long blur.....You are our special daughter no matter what happens, but I just can't help but think about the challenges that lie ahead for you in your life.....We live in a cruel world......Forgive me for grieving......Forgive me for all the bad thoughts I have had, I think about all the things we may not get to do together, picking out prom dresses, wedding dresses, baby stuff.....I need for you to know that no matter what happens now or in the future, that God picked me to be your mother and that I'm going to do my best......Just never forget how beautiful you are and how special you are to me and our family."

and Today, If it wasn't for you:

I wouldn't know the real value of hard work and patience

I wouldn't know what it was like to cry real tears of joy the first time you rolled over, walked, talked, got on the bus for the first time or said I love you, Mom.

I wouldn't know what hip helpers were or what Oral Motor,IEP, ST, PT, OT and section 24, meant.

I wouldn't know, Heidi, Jen, Barb, Sally, Stacy, Kelledy, Erica, Liz, Ruth, Karyn, Lisa, Missy, Rachel, Michele, Mrs. P, Mrs. Shallow, Alison, Liana, Daphne, Helen, Mark, Beth, Brooke, Dr. Smith, and Sue (and there's probably more!)

I wouldn't know what it was like to have to move on appreciate and love life even when your heart was broken into a million pieces.

I wouldn't know how strong I was.

I wouldn't know how much I could unconditionally love someone.

I wouldn't have noticed the mentally challenged older man in a wheelchair in Goodwill the other day and helped him pick out a toy to play with without a second thought.

I wouldn't be teaching my other kids every day about acceptance.

Who knew miracles came in such small packages. You amaze me every day girl. Happy Birthday tomorrow:)

Love,

Mommy

365::276

Random stuff:

• I'm participating in the looking down shot today (and yes, this tub of rice is as messy as it looks)
• I so want a Dyson vacuum, I just heard that my sister-in-law got one.
• I can't wait until THIS project (and I still haven't totally finished my album from last year), and we're already locking in some of our favorite holiday traditions.
• Speaking of December Daily, they are my favorite albums ever. I looked through my old albums tonight (I started in 2008) and shed a few tears. Each album represents one less year that the kids are going to be little....It's funny how you forget how hard it was, how tired you were or how much of a blur everything was. I just don't want it to end.
• My girl (who hasn't been in many pictures lately)is going to be six on Friday. I'm going to have to give a lot of thought to that post.
• Breanna also had some random hives this week....who knows what causes these things.
• I'll be sooo happy once bathroom issues don't rule our lives.
• Three and a half year olds are rip-your hair our challenging and demanding yet cute and lovable all at the same time.
• Trevor and Lucas fight like...........brothers.
• 10/10/10..... seems kind of anticlimactic (and I've already written the post on that one).
• Josh is baking some chocolate peanut butter cookies tonight.
• It's amazing what a little thing like turning a table can do to the perspective of your whole family room (who needs new furniture).
• We just got a new Blue-Ray DVD player with internet capabilities (b/c our old one died), and I have to say....Pandora Rules!
• I had some great finds at the Goodwill store today and I got Bre a really cute sweater dress (I love sweater dresses on little girls).
• I spent the whole day figuring out outfits for our family photo shoot on the beach with her this Friday. Happy Birthday present to me (I actually get to be in a photo!)
• Jumpy squirrel is living in our attic (seriously...).

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THIS boy......is finding his thing. He scored his first goal tonight in his practice game. Awesome, awesome!

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This week, I'm heading into a long stretch off from work, and it feels tremendously good to slow down for a little while. This boy...... loves to bake. He usually begs to make banana bread (he even brought a special egg home from the preschool chickens to make some.) I think, though, he really just likes to do anything he can do with me, "because I love you Mom, he says" .....Mama's boy, all the way:)

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We're getting some "stuff" done around here. We've finished the fence, cleaned up the inside part of the yard, started a really nice looking lattice on the deck and planted a few new bushes and trees. Today.....Josh ran 19 miles and then came home to start cleaning up the woods (it's a HUGE job, thankfully I received lots of "doing wood" training as a kid!) It's starting to look really good. Every time I'm in my backyard now, I smile:)

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Today.....

a trip to Lowe's

flu shots.

dance class.

a soccer game.

starting the lattice on the deck.

a school fair (mommy volunteered, YOU socialized with your new friends, played the duck game, hit the bounce house and got a rub-on tattoo).

a 50% plant sale and we got 2 forsythia bushes for the yard (which resulted in some unexpected chainsawing when we needed to be starting dinner...)-I can't WAIT to see those pretty yellow flowers in the spring!

a pasta dinner with Kevin (13.1 tomorrow!)

a campfire with s'mores in our new and improved backyard.

Good times.

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Here's to capturing all the extraordinary little ordinary moments of our lives.

Hello October.