Fall Leaves

The Fall leaves are so pretty here but they are falling and they sure are fun to play in and so much fun to rake.

E loves to rake the leaves

M just likes to sit and watch. HA!

He found a pinecone while working hard

Hard at work

I kept bugging Jon to do this but he was too busy so we got the kids to do it.

Child labor is awesome. They did a good job getting them into a pile don't ya think?

I am thankful for my studmuffin..Jon

Until Thanksgiving I decided I will randomly blog what I am thankful for. So here it goes.

I am so very thankful for my stud muffin.

I married my best friend nearly 7 years ago. He loves Jesus w/ all his heart and he serves Him daily. I am blessed to be his wife and so thankful he puts up w/ me and my varying moods and antics. HA! That takes a real man. He is a AWESOME DAD. Which makes me love him more and more everyday. God allowed him a to have a job last year that did us well financially (at times) but took him away from home a lot. A month ago he walked away from it b/c he could not stand not seeing his family and well the job was not making him much money. He is in a new job that allows him to see the kids and I so much more and our lives are so much fuller now b/c of the sacrifice he made. He serves me daily which is amazing and very much appreciated. I love him so much. Thanks for being my helpmate and person I share life with.

Now walk w/ me down memory lane. These are some of the many pictures that are my favorites.

My smiling guys!! E was 8 months here

The day he met his lil man

The day he met his lil girl

Love love this picture. It is so rare these days that we take a picture just the 2 of us.

Father and son walking down the road in Wisconsin

Daddy's monkey

Easton loves Daddy

Daddy will always protect his lil girl

She has Daddy wrapped.

Dancing w/ Daddy

1/5/02 the day we got married

Thanksgiving

Have people bypassed Thanksgiving? I have wondered that lately. We have aisles full of candy corn and candy canes. It is like we have Halloween and then Christmas. The Christmas stuff does keep going up earlier and earlier but still. We still need Thanksgiving. Instead of it being a day to share thankfulness it has become a day of stuffing our faces and formulating a shopping plan for the endless Christmas lists.

Thanksgiving is one of my fave holidays. The last few years we have had lots to be thankful for. I have been trying to have a heart of thankfulness and gratitude all year long. Not just one day. But since Thanksgiving is coming up I think I am going to share over the next few weeks all the things I am thankful for.

I still do love all the food truth be told. It is getting my taste buds going just thinking about it.

New policy

Got this from a friend

Notice to All Employees

As of November 5, 2008, when President Obama is officially elected into office, our company will instill a few new policies which are in keeping with his new, inspiring issues of change and fairness:

1. All sales people will be pooling their sales and bonuses into a common pool that will be divided equally between all of you. This will serve to give those of you who are underachieving a 'fair shake.'

2. All low level workers will be pooling their wages, including overtime, into a common pool, dividing it equally amongst yourselves. This will help those who are 'too busy for overtime' to reap the rewards from those who have more spare time and can work extra hours.

3. All top management will now be referred to as 'the government.' We will not participate in this 'pooling' experience because the law doesn't apply to us.

4. The 'government' will give eloquent speeches to all employees every week, encouraging its workers to continue to work hard 'for the good of all.'

5. The employees will be thrilled with these new policies because it's 'good to spread the wealth.' Those of you who have underachieved will finally get an opportunity; those of you who have worked hard and had success will feel more 'patriotic.'

6. The last few people who were hired should clean out their desks. Don't feel bad, though, because President Obama will give you free healthcare, free handouts, free oil for heating your home, free food stamps, and he'll let you stay in your home for as long as you want even if you can't pay your mortgage. If you appeal directly to our democratic congress, you might even get a free flatscreen TV and a coupon for free haircuts (shouldn't all Americans be entitled to nicelooking hair?)!!!

If for any reason you are not happy with the new policies, you may want to rethink your vote on November 4th.

Sucker for sweets

Dear Makenlee,

When your brother was little, I was able to shield him from sweets for a very long time (nearly 2 years). But now that he's 3, you often tag along with him to birthday parties and other events where sweets are everywhere. It is very hard to keep you away from it. You do love those suckers. My sweet girl you do have quite a sweet tooth. That's what makes you so sweet though.

Love, Mama

No baby!!

Easton has had some friends lately that have had new siblings. Now that he is a little older I can have somewhat of a intelligent convo with him. So I ask him sometimes, "Do you want Mommy and Daddy to have another baby?" E says, "No, I just want Makenlee." So today I asked again and he says, "No they cry. I just want to keep Makenlee." I think it is so cute how he favors and loves his sister. Even today when I picked him from school he asked, "Where is Makenlee? I want to see her. I miss her."

Sweetness

I found these 2 cuties like this. Is that not sweet!

RIP Crocs

Easton has pretty much worn his crocs everyday for the past year. He wore them in the rain even. Refusing to wear anything but his Packer crocs. He has completely worn the bottom off the crocs. He has officially outgrew them. Sad day for him.

Trick or Treating Adventure

We normally go to a trunk or treat at nearby church but they did not do it this year. So we were invited over to Lucy's house a friend who is Makenlee's age and we TOTed in their neighborhood. Easton has always been to trunk or treat or Hullabaloo so this was the 1st time TOTing and he got the hang of it real quick. The kids had fun and of course lots of candy. Which will be eaten by Daddy.

Eating dinner. They did a hot dog roast in their backyard fire pit.

I just like that her cup matched her outfit

Easton enjoyed running around the backyard w/ Peter Pan (Lucy's cousin)

She would not wear her ears so we had to hold them on her head for a picture

Why do I try for a family picture?

Sliding before TOTing

"Can I have this?"

"Trick or Treat"

She was very serious w/ her sucker

"Hand over the candy!!"

Halloween fun at Sprout

Before trick or treating we went to sprout to play as they were doing some fun stuff. The kids had fun as always.

I was a flower child! I was being silly.

Did you know Mickey delivers pizza too?

Playing at the water table

I did not put her in her costume until tonight b/c I did not want her to get all dirty in it.

How not to feel guilty...

I have been feeling guilty that I have yet to have more then 1 entry in Makenlee's journal. I journaled her birth-day. That was 4/21/07. I was up to about the time I had Makenlee in Easton's. But then my blog turned into their journals as I did not have time to write on here and then in the journal.

When I would write in Easton's before Makenlee I used to sit and write in the journal as I went through my blog. But now I won't feel as guilty b/c I found away to turn my blog into a book. I found Blurb.com. You can download their free software, "slurp" your blog right off the Internet, and have it printed into hard or soft cover book(s)!! How cool is that!!!

Happy Halloween

Easton and Makenlee wish everyone a Happy Halloween!!!

Pretty piggies

I painted my toenails yesterday and M wanted to join in on the fun.

Her lil piggies are so cute. Everytime she takes her socks off she points to them and says "Purrt" Missing the Y. But oh, well.

Happy Halloween Eve

Since we are not eating dinner at home tomorrow we decided to have a jack o lantern pizza for dinner tonight.

Crazy hair in the bath

Pumpkin jammies. We are ready for Halloween

Dress up at school today

Easton got to dress up in a costume for preschool today. They had a Halloween party and brought a pumpkin patch to his school so the kids could hunt for pumpkins. They did a whole bunch of things. He of course had loads of fun. He decided to be a lion today. Like Aslan from The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe. He loves the animated version.

M thinking she was going to the party I think. She got her pumpkin treat bag and all.

"Roar"

M thinking she is all that w/ her lunch bag.

Mommy and her ran errands today while E was at school

All tuckered out before we even picked up E from school.

My sweetie!

Fun times at Sprout

These kids have so much fun playing together.

Western Night Family Pic

Well, at least M is lookin this time.

A giveaway

Who doesn't LOVE free giveaways!! A friend of mine from So. California is giving away a "Lid" which is a really cool hat for your kid. They are very well made I hear. I have yet to get one but really want one for Easton. Maybe Makenlee but she pretty much rips hats off at this age. Oh the joy. Eli's Lid's also has cool shirts too.

Go to http://www.blessednestperch.com/home-at-blessed-nest/ and leave a comment and you are automatically entered into the drawings.

The giveaway ends Oct 31st so enter today!

Pumpkin Dump Cake

here is the reci for it
1 (29 oz.) can pumpkin
1 c. sugar
1 (13 oz.) can evaporated milk
3 eggs beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Ginger
1 box yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cubes (3/4 c.) butter, melted
1 c. pecans, chopped (if you want) I exclude them

Grease 9x13 in pan. Combine first 6 ingredients. Pour into pan. Sprinkle cake mix over top evenly, then sprinkle on the pecans. Pour melted butter over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Easton vs. PJ shirt

E: "Let go of me shirt" (Screaming)
"I want you off. Get off me shirt." "Shirt, AHHHHH, get off"

E comes running into Makenlee's room screaming and struggling to get the PJ shirt off b/c it is buttoned and he can't get it over his head.

Mommy: "Do you need help?"
E: "Yes, I told the shirt to get off. I yelled at the shirt. I spank the shirt. AHHHH"
Mommy laughs at what just happens.