Here we go...

It's that spooky time again! No, not Halloween, I mean the holiday rush around season! It always starts in October for us. 4 birthdays in the fam means lots of cake-and-ice-cream tummyaches. We are celebrating Halloween today AND tomorrow, more tummyaches(and lots of allergies for my poor, poor Son!)
But in the midst of all the busy-ness, I just want to send a shout-out to my dear, sweet husband. (PS...I know you read my blog, L!) He is busy busy busy, super busy right now, but he is trying so hard to keep our family time his number-one priority(I Love you!) It is not easy, sometimes downright impossible, but I guess that happens when you are the super(est) guy around, everybody needs some of your time. I am begrudgedly learning to share him(with work and school) and be an understanding wife. After all, who knows better than I how incredible he is?(maybe his creator?) Anyway, up until this afternoon, I did not think he was going to make it to our half-hour-away Halloween party and be back in time for his class, but he has miraculously worked it out so he can go with us! (I was TOTALLY understanding if he hadn't been able to make it work, being the number-one awesome wife I am, you know! Promise!) We are a pretty good team, if I do say so myself. (Please reference my mother's humility in previous post....sorry mom, I guess I didn't inherit much of it{kidding}) So look out for some super-cute pictures of the next two days of sugar-fueled fun!

Apples and my Mom

I love my mom, can I just tell you? She is such a wonderful example of selfless giving. She never ever brags, to the point of having too much humility. She has eight kids and still manages to help whenever help is needed, with much personal expense(monetary as well as energy.)

Example #1. My mom went with the kids and I to the apple/pumpkin farm a couple weeks ago for a field trip with Son's preschool class. My mom and I split a 40 pound box of apples, thinking that 20 pounds each was way plenty. Of course, by the next day I had about a dozen apples with tiny Daughter-bites out of them. She was getting into the box, taking one bite out of an apple, then putting it back and getting another one, and so forth. But I digress...

The kids and I went over to my mom's house to make sugar-free apple pie slices and bottle them. We were supposed to do her apples and mine, but she wasn't feeling up to doing all of them, so she worked and basically did all the work for mine, getting almost no "fruits" for her labor. We made a tiny bit of apple butter and I insisted she keep half of it, but other than that, nada.

Example #2. This is a dual example of both my parents. Both of our households have fireplaces as our main source of heat in the winter, so we planned a woodcutting trip together to stock up on wood. Working with more hands makes the work go much faster, and of course spending time together on the mountain is priceless. We went to get the permit for the wood, and could only get one cord(a measurement unit) of wood(we were hoping to split 3 or 4 cords.) My parents gave us ALL of the wood from the trip, since we needed it more than they did. They came and worked and drove their truck and did not get one bit of the wood. My mom and brothers J and B even came and unloaded it for us, since L is in class pretty much all day on Saturdays now.
So there you have it. I could go on and on about all the little things and big that my parents do for us, but I thought I'd just share the two most recently on my mind. These memories are huge for me. And also, I have to tell you one more thing my mom said to me as we were deep in conversation over apples. "...Just in case I never told you, I think you are very talented and beautiful." That is huge for her, if you note in my first sentence how humble my mother is. She still wanted to make sure that even if I never heard her bragging about me, that I knew exactly what she thought of me and how proud she is of me. She has managed to gracefully let me grow into an adult and take my own path without losing my relationship with her or her opinion of me. She still sees me for who I am and values who I have become. And that is incredible to me.

Grandpa Days

Monday-Thursday are Grandpa days. Grandpa has stopped by on his way home from work nearly every day since Son was born(no exaggeration.) Grandpa nearly always brings a treat for the munchkins(courtesy of Grandma, who packs them in his lunchbox.) Grandpa takes a few minutes every day to ask Son, "How was school?" and to help Daughter eat a banana(or candy, you know that's Grandpa's job.)

Grandpa is the one Son first told when he had to go into time-out in school(Yikes!)

Grandpa helps Daughter learn to take some help(difficult for her right now.)And I get a little window of time that I can start dinner so it is ready before Daddy gets home. Hooray for Grandpa!

Being a mother

Are we born with that innate nurturing instinct?

Or did God make these kids so darn cute that you can't help but love them?

Maybe a little of both....

Have a happy Mommy day!
Or as Son says, are you going to be "Super Mommy Happy" today? The answer is....YES!

New blog

Ok, I started another blog for my healthy recipes. Most have the points figured in for weight watchers, but even if you are not following weight watchers and just want a healthy new recipe, try one! Go here.