Junior Prom, revisted.

As I sit at the computer looking at the pictures that I was sure would be Christmas card-perfect, I had to laugh at the fact that the only two that I ended up getting looked like this:






As I thought about it, I realized that Halloween and Prom are really eerily similar in many ways:

10. You decorate with a bunch of things that would be considered either gaudy or bizarre any other time of the year.

9. You visit and revisit stores trying to pick the perfect outfit.

8. You answer the same question leading up to the big day. "Who are you going with?" (Prom) or "Who are you going as?" (Halloween).

7. You spend a long time on hair and make-up, just to find that something is not quite right with the end result.

6. You have to stand around taking a bunch of pictures when you'd rather be doing something else.

5. You get a random group of people together for dinner beforehand but can barely eat because you're either too nervous (prom) or too excited (Halloween).

4. You can't believe that someone else at the party has the same outfit as you!

3. Someone always ends of crying.

2. By the end of the night, you're feet are hurting and you're tired from staying up so late.

1. You're already counting down the days until next year!

Happy Halloween from Popeye, Olive Oyl, Wonderwoman, Supergirl, and Batman

Say, "Cheese!"

Not much to say... happy smiles all around describe how we're feeling!

Gettin' Down on the Farm

Aly had a Kindergarten field trip to a pumpkin patch so Caroline, Jack, and I tagged along. We had such a fun time petting all types of animals, feeding cows from the hayfide, getting lost in the enormous cornmaze, and enjoying a picnic in the beautiful temperature. Between the tractors, goats, and haystacks to climb on, Jack could barely contain his excitement and enthusiasm! And the rain graciously held off until we were home, safe and sound.

This is about as good as "group picture" gets these days!

A Full Calendar

We have a huge calendar on our refrigerator in the kitchen where we mark all of the holidays, birthdays, and special days throughout the month. September has always been one of those months where there is not a lot going on: school has already started, there are no real holidays, and no family birthdays. It's just a plain month. I guess that's why September was a great month for the process of finding, testing, and diagnosing my MS. It added a little excitement to the usually vanilla-flavored month of September! But now that we are settling back down and enjoying these doctor-appointment-free weeks, I wanted to catch everyone up with some pictures of our past 6 weeks or so. They have included separate visits from both Nana and Papa (I think they now believe me when I say that I feel great!), ballet, school events, and (finally!) last week's fair.

The October calendar in the kitchen is already full of birthday parties, fall festivals, field trips, the pumpkin patch, and of course, Halloween. So I guess we won't need any added heath-issue-induced excitement!

Reading with Papa

Back to Ballet!

Daddy's Dessert at school

A visit to the fair with friends

Playing with Nana

**I do realize that there are really no pictures of Jack on this post. He is not exactly at an easy stage to take pictures (translation: he runs from the camera!), but I am now committed to do a better job of it! So more pictures of Jack to come!!**

Aly learning to read!!

The Body

For the few of you who read this blog, you know of my recent pending/possible diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. It has been a crazy 2 weeks for us, but this post is really not about that. Chad and I have been absolutely floored. But it's not the news of the diagnosis that has blown us away. The doctor's appointments, and tests have been a scheduling nuisance but nothing earth-shattering. The spinal headaches that followed the spinal tap have hung around for a week have absolutely kicked my rear end, but they haven't rocked us. The thing that has been the most unbelievable, amazing, heartwarming, and unexpected thing to us has been the people around us. From emails to texts to letters in the mail. From dinners on the doorstep to prayers for our family. From taking the kids for an hour to setting up doctor's appointments for me. It is amazing the importance of not only the community but also of the Church Body. We have seen first-hand the love of Christ exemplified through people both near to us and across the country. It is truly a comforting and refreshing thing. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

Charlie Jack

This is the girls' and my affectionate name for our Jack. Chad's not a fan of the moniker and prefers, instead, "Champer." But tell me that this face isn't just a perfect "Charlie Jack":


This summer, he probably could've answered to anything, mostly, "Where's Jack?" or "Has anyone seen Jack?" But now that school is back in for the girls, I'm getting some much-anticipated Jack-time. Regardless of the name, he is perfect. To us.

Here are some of the things that you need to know about Jack. Jack loves:
1. Trash. Putting trash in trash cans entertains this boy all day, everyday.


2. Balls. Any size, any shape, but most preferably basketballs. He and Chad shoot ball each morning after breakfast.
3. Sticks. Picking them up and making piles of them.
4. Cars, trucks, and trains. Currently, there is a construction crew on our street with a giant excavator and dump train. Combine that with the fact that today is garbage day and this boy is in heaven.
5. Dogs. He thinks that they all like him as much as he loves them. Thankfully, there are a lot of fences in our neighborhood.
6. His family. He has a different way of addressing and loving on each of us. He wakes up asking for "Dada", and gives him lots of pats and head-butts. He adores Aly ("Aggie"); he calls for her often and copies everything she does. He is amused by Caroline ("Ca") and is as hot-and-cold with her as she is with him. And he moans "Mamama"and buries his head into my legs every time he's shy, tired, or hungry.
7. His paci and blue "Jack blanket". He carries it everywhere wrapped around his body, like a towel.

8. Big kids, especially big boys. He watches them and wants to play just like them.
9. Peanut butter. It's the only source of protein this little vegetarian gets.
10. Routine and order. With parents like us, I guess he has no choice.

Me, through child-colored glasses

I am a runner. I love to run. Now, I have taken a bit of a break from it (and by "bit", I mean about 4 years.) I stopped when I was 7 months pregnant with Caroline, and because of inconsistent schedules, another pregnancy with Jack, and an unwillingness to wake up at 5am, I've come to realize that now is just not the season in life for my running. But it is definitely a part of my identity. I started it when I was about 10 and just love love love it. I love running with no music, no people around me; I love to think, hear my own breathing, hear my own footsteps, and just tune out. I am a runner.

Two days ago, I overheard a conversation Aly was having with a friend whose mother runs. Aly said, "My mom doesn't ever run. She doesn't like running." I was struck by the fact that my daughter, who is with me the majority of everyday of her life, could be so mistaken about who I am! Doesn't she remember that I ran with her until the day she was born? That I ran with her for the first year and a half of her life? Of course not. She knows what she remembers experiencing, and my running is not a part of it. So it made me wonder how my kids do see me? And not just the interests that make up my identity... what about the actions that make up my character? I know that they see girls coming over to our house for Bible studies, but do they ever see me sit down during the day and actually open up my Bible? I know that they hear me tell people that I will pray for them, but how often do they see me stop what I'm doing and actually pray? I am confident that if they were to make a short list of who their mom is, the daily jobs of cook, house-cleaner, clothes-washer, diaper-changer would all be named. But what a great reminder that these kids are watching and making judgements on what they experience. I hope that I can remember to drop that broom from time to time so that they can see what is really important.