Carving Day.....

Carving away our day.....

Then someone decided eating the pumpkin was a fabulous thing.  Any guesses who that was?

 Lots of fun and cheesy smiles and bloopers to go with......

Squiggle Story .... By: Ayden

"Once there was a weird planet called planet Ayden.  There were aliens on the planet.  There names were One, Two, Three, Four, Five and Six.  Those aliens were relly silly.  One liked to do back flips.  Two does spin flips on the trampalen.  Three likes to run in his house.  Four loves to go crazy everywhere.  Five likes to jump on the seling.  Six loves to go in spaceships and go everywhere.  The astrounot who visited the planet his name was Mike.  Mike was a short fellow.  He can fit in tight spaces on the planet.  The tight spaces on the planet were as big as a tiny window.  Mike said hello to all the aliens on the planet inclouding 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.  Mike liked the aliens he played everyday when he was on the planet (1 whole year).  After the year his rocket ship broke down so his ship will be fixed in three more years so he had to stay on there four years.  Mike almost ran out of oxagine but he is fine.  The guy who fixed his ship gave him some more oxagine.  Mike had enough oxagine he could stay for 6 more years.  The End"

I Voted.......

I voted, did you?

 

My voice may be one in millions, but I or you could be the one that makes the difference.

 

Get out there and complete the painless easy process.

 

I promise it is simple and at least if you do vote you have the right to complain later.  Ha!!

New Chapter

"Your day will go the way the corners of your mouth turn."



Here it comes. I'm sitting down to write now with Ayden dreaming in the slanted late fall evening, and I'm just going to let it flow. I'm not sure exactly what will come out or what I'll type, but I do know this, it will be real. Real life. It's easy in this culture to share, and to over share. And though I don't always like to "air my laundry" per se, I like to be real. I love to meet people who inspire me and hope to inspire others as we all live this life together, and share. Share our ups and downs, share joys and fears. And this space here? While I share stories we've tried and loved and sayings that Ayden proclaims, it's also a place for me to sort thoughts and emotions, to fold them and knead them until something beautiful happens. Until everything mixes together and after some time and some heat, what's pulled out in the end is a delicate balance of hard edges that are made better by a soft and tender center.

So I'm about to share, and mix in thoughts and feelings, and in the end we may have a mess or we may have the perfect loaf to share together. Let's see.
(End of a very long disclaimer.)

It was the perfect setting for the announcement, just before April Fool’s Day the one test I took gleamed with pink lines. Two of them. I cried and I smiled. I felt my stomach and said hello to the little gift of life that I had the privilege to carry. I'd been extremely tired, and now I was so happy to be tired. Car rides made me queasy, and now I welcomed the queasiness.  Well, some of it!

I marvel at the beauty of women's bodies, at the way just a seed can bloom into life and grow. How our bodies become nutrient centers and give life to something, to someone, that otherwise couldn't sustain it.

Plans were already being laid. December 2nd, 2012 already had a countdown running with apps on our phones and a check mark on the calendar, and the thought of a winter baby had the corners of my mouth turned up.

We prayed and we rested and we know that this isn't the end, not even close, but rather the beginning of the rest of our story, of our family's story. We're so blessed!



I'm strengthened in knowing that with all of the disappointments in life there are many opportunities for joy and excitement, for fresh starts and new chapters. And though some days may begin with the corners of my mouth turned down, I know it doesn't have to stay that way. All it takes sometimes is a little smile, a small step, the beginnings of a grin... and it grows.

But those are the days where the seed of a contagious, and somewhat sarcastic, smirk turns into something more, and as the corners of my mouth turn up, so does my day.

We are doing beautifully, we are living in sweet peace and our smiles have been jumpstarted by the outpouring of generous texts, calls, gifts, emails and hugs from friends and family.



I feel loved, I feel blessed and deep down I know, this really is in fact the beginning. The beginning of the rest of our story... a new chapter. And I will start it with turning the corners of my mouth up.

Pumpkin Patch

I wasn't much help on the lugging around of the pumpkins this year. 

 

It seems as if I have one attached to me 24/7 these days.  Ha! 

 

That didn't stop Mr. Strongman though.....with a little help from Mimi.

 

Did you see that look of determination above?

 

If not, there is a recap below.......

 

Pumpkin picking is serious stuff..............

 

Sneak Peek into the Maternity Photo Session

 

Pregnancy is one amazing process....

However, we can't wait to have Raegan in our arms

50 days to go until our due date, but they will most likely schedule before then.

Not much longer for us to meet this sweet baby girl!!

 

Boytime.....

This is the stuff our boys like to do.....

Never-ending fun is always lurking around the corner!!