November Happenings cont...

On the 19th we celebrated Damian's 13th birthday..

 That makes 2 teenagers in the house now with more to come every 2-3 years from here on out. Oh, what a happy thought! (*expressed with oozing sarcasm and demonstrated with dramatic eye-rolling*)  

Actually, in spite of  my many apprehensions, it hasn't been all that bad having teenagers...yeah, there are days you definitely want to knock 'em over the heads and ship them off to Timbuktu, but there's also something really special about relating to your children on a more equal level. I think that most of the times teenagers get into trouble is because they get bored and there aren't enough expectations and responsibilities placed on them. 
So  with that in mind, Damian, starting tomorrow morning I'd like 2 eggs, well fried, yolks broken, crispy buttered toast, a glass of hand-squeezed orange/grapefruit juice, fresh picked and served over crushed ice and I'll take my coffee with a little sugar and cream, thankyouverymuch.

And the trip to grandpa's farm

We traveled to Jerry's parents' house in MO for Thanksgiving.

Crowded van,  carsick babies, lost shoes, squabbling siblings = Looong trip

 We were pretty happy to finally see this house. 

Missouri always looks so pretty, especially coming from the dry, dusty southwest, and there's always a little part of us that starts to fantasize about what it would be like to move back, get a farm and let the kids run free.
But only for 2 minutes.
Cause that's about how long it takes to remember the ticks, and the chiggers, and the humidity, and the clouds, and the when it's not hot it's cold and vise/versa, and so on and so forth.

 It's still a great place to visit though and to kids it's an absolute paradise.

 Yep...that would be grass.

 

 Look at those grins!
I know, I know...no life jackets, but the density of that muddy pond wouldn't let anyone sink even if they tried.

We were so happy that Jerry's entire family, all 4 siblings and all their kids could be together for Thanksgiving.

Everyone

and Jerry's parents and siblings

They roasted the turkey in a hole that they had dug, filled with hot coals, and then covered for several + hours.

It was delicious!

As was grandma's dressing...the absolute best!

And let's not forget the homemade rolls and pies!

These guys kept an eye on things and made sure no one but themselves snitched any food.

As you can imagine, we did plenty of this:

and this:

 and this:

and this:

and some people even did this:

Not me though.

Not on your life.


At some point someone found this:

which was almost, but not quite, as spectacular as Judah Biruk's grin when he finally found some boots to wear.

Jerry's beautiful mom and sisters; amazing women, all three!

Great times, wonderful memories, and lots of love!

November Happenings

So, we started the month out celebrating the children God has given to us in the last year or so by dedicating Mikayla, Elijah Kidus, and Judah Biruk back to Him. Of course, we had already done that in our hearts, but it made it really special doing a public ceremony at church also.

It can take my breath away and make my knees tremble when I think of the awesome responsibility God has given to us by making us parents. What in the world was He thinking?? I see my own short comings and failures, my way- too- often impatience and ignorance, and I know that it is only through His grace and wisdom that I have any hope for my children at all!

Praise Him!

monchhichi

The toy industry ain't stupid.

Re-releasing  toys every 20+  years or so is a sure-fire way to guarantee sales.
My Little Pony, Smurfs, Fisher Price telephones (the kind with the pull string and blinking eyes), and sock monkeys are all back on shelves.

  Moms see the toys they always wanted, but never had, and overwhelming nostalgia grabs them by the heart and purse.



Take these itty-bitty, cutest monkey-looking things ever, for instance: Monchhichis.

Maybe they've always been around, I don't know, but I remember  LOVING them when I was little. Of course, the fact that they belonged to a friend instead of me might have been part of the reason for my obsession, but when I spotted them at Target the other day I couldn't resist snatching up 2 of them for some cute little girls of my own.
The thought did cross my mind that maybe I should wait until Christmas to give them to them, but I knew I could never wait that long...after all, I've already been waiting 26 years- enough's enough, I say!

Monkey see...

Monkey do

Is it my turn yet?

Think this will work?

as a deterrent to those family members who are prone to make faces during the most inappropriate times?

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Yeah, I doubt it too.

Happy Adoption Day!

We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!
For your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.

love