Fall

Today was very autumn-y. The sky is cloudy but the sun is shining so the leaves are really bright while the sky is somewhat dark. My favorite. It's cold enough to layer but not so cold that mittens and hats are needed.

I've mentioned we live across the street from a cemetery. It's really not at all creepy and is one of the prettier spots in town. I have a good view from my kitchen and the leaves over there are especially bright. This morning I watched as the workers set up a tent for a funeral. It was a military funeral and there were men in their dress blues (is that right?) with flags and rifles. I stood in my sliding glass door and watched as they saluted with their bright, white gloves and spun the rifles around in sync. Beautiful. The hearse entered through the wrought iron gate with the procession behind it. I didn't even know who the funeral was for (it's a small town so it's not unusual to know exactly who's funeral it is) but I watched until there were too many cars to see the military men anymore.

It was a sobering moment in an otherwise normal day.

Commercialization

I like classic-y things. A lot of the kids books we have are books that I read when I was a kid. Same with a lot of our toys. I'm all about wooden toys, musical instruments, wooden puzzles, Eric Carle books, Shel Silverstein...classics.

When Henry was a newborn I signed him up for a book club in our town where kids from birth to age 5 get a free book mailed to them once a month. There was a HUGE waiting list so imagine my surprise when his first book arrived yesterday. Woohoo! It was the classic The Little Engine that Could. I was thrilled and Henry carried that book around all day.

When I went in to tuck him in last night he was flipping through his new book. So I asked him, "How do you like your new book?"

"Good."

"Is it The Little Engine that Could?"

"No. It's Thomas the Train."

The Pumpkin Patch

A couple of my high school friends and I have a yearly tradition of visiting the pumpkin patch with our little ones. There are three of us and we all had our first two kids around the same time (I pulled ahead with Elisabeth this summer)! Here are some of my favorite shots that Betsy took:

Betsy is the Martha Stewart of my friends. She and her mom made these shirts after seeing them in Family Fun Magazine. Elisabeth got a matching bib.



Since Elisabeth couldn't stand along the fenceline she gets her own close-up:



And this year we made the husbands come, too. There is no way we could chase the kids through the maze, playground, and patch without them. However, when you bring men and they see pumpkins they inevitably go for the biggest one. And then prove how manly they are by lugging it on their shoulder. See how strong he is?

I did it.

Barely. I "ran" my 5k today and my legs are killing me. I ran a lot harder than I normally do because there were people watching (of all things). My time was so bad that I laughed out loud at the 2 mile when they called it out. Lets just say that by the time I hit the 2 mile mark my friend Brandi was crossing the finish line. Yeah.

But I wasn't last! There were 2 runners behind me and a pack of walkers behind them. And I kept my pace with the runner ahead of me the whole time so that was nice. I still despise running but actually being in the race was sort of fun. I got a t-shirt and a medal which Charlie has been wearing all day. He and Henry have no idea how badly I did...they just saw MOM! in a RACE! COOL! And I got water, fruit and a granola bar at the finish. Bonus.

Chad took the camera but he had Henry in a stroller, Elisabeth in a carrier on his chest, Charlie and our niece Caylee walking beside him. And he was trying to get to different points on the course to cheer me on. He did good! And pictures would have been truly embarrassing anyway.

So, I persevered (Charlie was cheering that from "Sumo of the Opera"), I ran the race (Hebrews 12:1) and what have I learned?

My legs hurt.

Actually, I did learn to get up, work hard, and get moving. And maybe next time I'll do even better...(wait, did I just say next time)?

Finding Time

I don't have a hobby. I'm pretty sure I never really had one but at this point in my life even if I wanted one I don't know where I'd fit it in. My hobby is keeping my life from imploding. I jealously look at others who are doing fun things or hobbyish things and think "How'd you manage that?"

I mentioned in an earlier post that I'm running in 5k. I use the term "running" very loosely. It's still a jog- more like a speed walk with a hop. I don't know what possessed me to think this was a good idea. Getting off the couch and moving after a baby takes some effort and I thought giving myself a goal would help me get back in shape. The problem is running is NOT fun. And I have to find at least an hour to change, run, and get cleaned up on top of everything else in my life. Only a few more days and I'm done. This is my new motivator- after Saturday I will NEVER run again. Unless someone is chasing me- and I'll only run if it's life or death.

What surprised me the most in my "training" was that I did find time to practice. It was necessary and I wanted to run in the race so it had to be done. My excuses for not doing certain things because there is no time don't seem to hold water anymore. I guess we make time for what we think is important. We make time for what's necessary...I wouldn't skip grocery shopping or putting gas in my car because there's no time. I don't get to make that choice. So when this race is over I'm freeing up some time...will I let it get wasted again or will I find something productive to do? Hopefully I'll figure out what's most important...and remind myself there's time.

Here she is...

A friend of mine took some pictures of Elisabeth for me. Here is my favorite! I wish she wasn't hiding her mouth but getting a perfect shot of a baby is nearly impossible.

Henry snuck in at one point so they took a couple of pictures of him for good measure...

Charlie was no where near the camera. He hates getting his picture taken. Last year we had an awful argument the day of school pictures because he was determined his hair would be combed and I wanted it spiked. Right before pictures he flattened his hair AND he didn't smile. Grrrr. This year we got his pictures back and HOORAY! He smiled! The smile is a little crooked but his eyes are awesome...you can see that look like he's up to something which is so Charlie.

(And, yes, my scanner is FILTHY)

Thankful Thursday

Big thanks to loavesandfishes in the comments the other day. I followed her directions step by step and have a couple of podcasts!

I've been catching up with an old friend of my husband's through facebook and her blog. She's big on Thankful Thursdays so I thought I'd join in today.

What I'm thankful for might sound a little silly but I'm really thankful for the internet! I can't tell you how much I've learned from sites like The Simple Dollar, Money Saving Mom, and MomAdvice when it comes to our finances, paying down medical bills, and saving.

I've made some friends at The Homespun Heart and With All That I've Been Given. But the best is when I've been visiting a site and they link to another one that I haven't been to. I love finding new sites. And alot of times it feels like the Lord sent me specifically to certain sites.

I've been struggling with some trust issues lately. Specifically trusting that God can meet my needs. I tend to do things myself and say "God, I'm good today...I don't need you but I'll let you know when I do..." And often times I just figure I won't bother him. I've been hashing it out with Chad almost daily (I'm sure he's getting sick and tired of the same conversation over and over). It mostly consists of him saying "Why don't you trust him?" and me saying "Because what if he wants me to fail?" and back and forth and back and forth.

Yesterday I was reading one blog which led me to another and another and finally to this post. I was shocked. The whole post was exactly what I needed to hear. Especially the part where she says she'll praise him if she can pay her bills and she'll praise him if she can't. The other day I actually listed the ways I feel like God has let me down. Listed them! I have this image of God working out his plan and me being an afterthought. I'm not an afterthought. As a mom I should know better:

Luke 11:11-13 (ESV) What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent? or if he asks for an egg will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

So, I'm thankful for the internet but really I'm thankful that God is listening to me even when I'm not saying much...and he leads me where I need to go! What are YOU thankful for?