The Chaos Continues

Well, we've had a little break from the chaos of life and now it's time to get back into it. It's been gradual increase in activities, but starting Sunday, everything will have started.......maybe the winter will go by fast if we're busy. So let's see....Sunday is church (which Trent and I are part of leading worship 2 Sundays a month) and basketball practice for Carter and Trent, who is coaching. Monday....I play soccer, Tuesday.....Trent plays dartball, Wednesday....Carter has church, Trent and I lead a small group and worship team practice, Thursday....Carter plays flag football, Friday.....it's empty for now, but starting in December will probably be taken up with travelling to basketball tournys. Now you just need to add in there Trent working everyday, me working 2 days a week, another basketball practice at some point during the week, practicing for a band lesson, homework with the boys, reading with the boys and PLEASE don't forget cleaning the house, laundry, grocery shopping, etc......Oh it makes me tired just thinking about it! Maybe, just maybe we overbook ourselves a bit. :) Oh well, we take one day at a time and believe me....we LOVE nights at home when there is nothing going on! Tonight Trent and I are going on a date.....gotta fill those love tanks! :) And then tomorrow is Halloween. The kids are excited....I'll just be glad when it's done. The amount of money that people spend on Halloween, drives me crazy. We have gotten to the point that we don't buy costumes...instead the boys come up with creative ideas on their own. I refuse to spend 20+ dollars on something they will wear for an hour or two. So this year, they both decided to be baseball players. Tomorrow night, they'll go trick or treating in our neighborhood and we may take them to one of the grocery stores that does "trick or treating" in the morning. It's something a little different and I think Aleah would especially enjoy it.

Please Pray!

Could you please pray for a friend of mine? Her name is Jen and her family is going through a big trial. I don't feel like I should give many details in this blog, but her Dad is being sentenced in court tomorrow morning at 11:00. Pray for leniency on the judges part and for peace for Jen and her family. Thanks.

Delicious Donuts

What is better on a very cool, crisp fall morning than homemade donuts? And who doesn't like the mini donuts you buy for a pretty penny at the fair? Well I for one, love those donuts, but very rarely will be willing to pay the money for them. So we make our own. They are super easy to make and your family will love them. Our breakfast this morning cost $2.35! (I happened to already have the sugar, cinnamon and oil, so it's just the cost of the biscuits). We use the little pillsbury biscuits (the ones with 10 to a pack) and since we love them so much, we'll usually make 3 packs. That's right....30 donuts and 30 donut holes. Yummy. To make the donut holes, I actually take the top off of a baster that I have. Then deep fry the donuts and holes and when they're done, shake them in a bag with a sugar and cinnamon mixture. It was a delicious breakfast and well received by the entire family!

Our New Toy

We officially joined the group of Wii owners last night! The boys worked hard this summer taking care of the dog, mowing the yard, moving rock and doing misc. jobs. They decided to put their money together and purchase a Wii. Then Evan used birthday money to purchase a couple extra games and Trent and I bought and extra controller. We had the option of purchasing just the controller or spending $10 more and getting Wii play with a controller. We chose the latter of the two! So last night we came home and spent almost 3 hours playing games as a family...it was such an enjoyable time. I have to say, bowling and tennis are definitely my favorites although the game of lawn darts that I played with Trent was fun also!! I can see that many cold winter nights will be spent, in our cozy family room, playing Wii together.

Today, Carter has a friend over and so the 3 boys are playing Wii together. Trent is hoping to get the caps cut for our fire pit and flower bed and I.......well, what do I do everyday?? Picking up and laundry. Ugh. I get to throw grocery shopping in there also. But it will all be worth it when tonight, Trent and I get to have a date night. Out for dinner and then to Fanny Hill Dinner Theatre to see the play that my best friend, Deb is in. We're looking forward to a night out together.

Meeting Friends

About a week and a half ago, we took the kids to the Twin Cities for a relaxing day of fun. The boys spent the afternoon with my sister and her husband playing Wii and swimming, while Trent and I took Aleah to the Mall of America so she could meet Pablo from the Backyardigans and Dora from Dora the Explorer. She had a blast! We also rode some of the little kid rides at Nickelodean Universe while we waited for the characters. It was so fun to spend the day with her and focus just on doing things for her. Each of our kids needs that special time with just mom and dad! Here are a few pictures from her special day!

This little roller coaster ended up being her favorite ride. After the first time, she ran up to Trent and said, "ride again??" So off they went!

Happy Birthday Evan!!!!

Seven years ago today, we welcomed our second little boy into our family! Evan James, all 9# 4oz of him, blessed our family at 3:43 pm after only 4 hours of labor! This morning, after he had received a half dozen phone calls wishing him a happy birthday, he looked at me and said, "mom, I really like it when people call to wish me a happy birthday. That's really special!". It got me thinking about him and how special and unique he is and how much I love him. Since I hope that this blog can someday be a journal that our family can look back at together, I wanted to "jot" down all the special things that describe Evan.



EVAN:
* loves to cuddle
* likes to have his back scratched
* enjoys playing legos
* loves to draw
* loves to cook.....he recently said he wants to be a chef when he grows up! :)
* follows the rules
* has an incredibly tender heart
* is loved by girls....better watch this one as he gets older!
* was a terrible sleeper as a baby, but now is great.
* is a big kid....has always been in the 97% or higher for height. He looks like a 3rd grader!
* likes to "dance" with hip-hop wordless music. It's kind of cute to watch.
* was my shortest labor, yet my largest child by almost a pound!
* loves to read
* does math in his head...he'll be just like his grandpa mayo
* is my only child with all dominant traits (brown hair, brown eyes, right handed, etc..)
* always needs a little extra prodding in the mornings....he likes to take his time (aka: he's slow!)
* loves to take LONG HOT showers!
* likes to play catch and baseball with his brother.
* wants a soccer ball for his birthday, so he can practice with his mom! How sweet!!
* broke his finger this past summer, and despite it being his right hand, still played b-ball!
* loves to play games
* loves his special friend Ms. Cripe. She has a very special place in his heart.
* loves his family
* is loved by his family and most of all, by Jesus!!



We love you, Evan!! We hope you have a wonderful day!

It's a War out there!

Yesterday in mom's group, I shared about the struggles we've been having with Carter's anxiety, his poor sleeping, and my increasing LACK of patience with him. One of the moms talked about her own childs troubles and how she and her husband realized that their family was going through a spiritual warfare. She mentioned that many times Satan can attack your family through less than obvious ways, including your children. Standing back now, I can see the spiritual attacks on our family through Carter. We prayed for Carter and I prayed yesterday when I got home....prayed for the banishment of Satan from our home. I'm happy to say, that Carter was much more relaxed going to bed last night. Only woke up once and was able to turn right over and go back to sleep.

We have some good friends that are also experiencing this spiritual warfare. They are members of our small group and because of some issues regarding Wednesday night activities for their children, it is looking like they will not be able to be part of our study. We are studying the Truth Project. We'll be praying for this situation and that Satan's presence will leave, for hearts to be changed and for the Glory of God to be exemplified!