Have you Thanked a Veteran Today ?

I’m trying to teach my kids that this life hasn’t always been easy. They’ve got it better than a ton of kids in this world. Sometimes it’s easy and other times it’s hard. They don’t understand war, they don’t understand children living without running water and not enough food to eat. We try our hardest but do we ever succeed until we’ve actually lived in someone else’s shoes, not really.

   

Today is a day of remembering our Veteran’s and our soldiers still fighting for our freedom. Today is a day we should Thank a Veteran, but we don’t always think about it. When I had the chance to take the girls to a celebration celebrating Veteran’s, I decided we were going.

Dahrran’s school puts on a nice program and it was good to see all of the Veterans that showed up!

So THANK YOU Veterans, current Soldiers, and Families of our Service Men and Women!!!!!!

My little ghouls and goblins

We weren't sure if we were going to be able to trick or treating.  Dahrran started running a temperature the weekend before, and was still not in school on Thursday. The Kaitlynn started running a temp on Tuesday night. By Thursday morning (her temp spiked Wed evening) we decided to take her in. After holding her down and a swab up the nose she was a confirmed H1N1 case :(. Not that I was surprised, it’s been running ramped like wildfire through Dahrran’s school.

After getting Kaitlynn started on Tami flu we saw an immediate difference in her, and by Friday evening no fever was present! It didn’t show up again on Sat, and so we were free to go Trick or Treating. The kids had so much fun, but I think Kaitlynn had the most!! She didn’t want us to carry her, and even threw a fit when I tried to empty her bucket and make it lighter. Towards the end though “Carry Me” could be heard.

Dahrran the Baseball player, and the girls as Ballerina’s

I had all intentions of the girls being little fairies, wings and all. When MacKenzie saw me making their Tutu's she insisted that she was going to be a ”dancing girl”. Guess who won? I had all hopes of finding Jews that you Iron on that said I (heart) Dance, and putting them on their shirts, but I couldn’t. So instead I got Iron on Glitter letters and planned on putting them on both the girls shirts. After getting home I decided I didn’t like that Idea for MacKenzie’s shirt, and Kaitlynn’s didn’t lay flat! On Kaitlynn’s shirt I just put Dance down one arm, and will probably put “Just” on the other. (someday) With MacKenzie’s, I decided to go a different route. After seeing Crystal’s shirts, I knew I wanted to try this out!! So I did! I love how it turned out!!!

Love how each one of them has their own smile….

…if you can’t tell it’s Kaitlynn’s new smile!

 

Before heading out we had to dance like a ballerina as well! Thank goodness Aunt Jess was able to show her how!

 

First Snow of the Year

Well, I’m about a month behind in blogging but after a day of just blogging I’m hoping all be all caught up and can get on track soon!!!!

We had our first snow on October 10th. October 10th people!!!!! That is NOT normal for here. In fact we haven’t really had much of a fall at all. A few days here and there when it’s been warm enough for us to play outside comfortably. Other than that it’s been way too cold or rainy to do much of anything outside. 

We’d had plans for the day, with Dahrran and MacKenzie, but Kaitlynn was able to stay home with aunt Jessica and play in the snow. She was able to make a snow man out of the wet yucky snow!!

Always have to eat the first snow of the season!

Just my size Snowman!

Throwing Snowballs at aunt Jessica.

My Favorite Picture from the whole day!

Ending with a look down our street.

Picking Pumpkins

I didn’t take my kids to a Pumpkin Patch this year. Oh, who am I kidding, I haven’t ever taken my kids to a Pumpkin Patch. Don’t get me wrong I’d love to take them, but the cost keeps me away. I’d love to take them, but I know they’d want to pick out a big pumpkin, and I’m sure it would cost an arm and a leg. Not to mention the cost to get in, and the cost to do this and that!

Another factor that keeps us away is the drive. It’d take us an hour or more to get to any Pumpkin Patch around here. So we improvise, we usually just head to our local Landscaping store to pick out a pumpkin or two, or even grow our own. The last few years we’ve been fortunate enough to have grandpa (my dad) grow pumpkins.

This year though, Great Grandpa had some pumpkins. Grandpa didn’t plant a garden, and neither did Great Grandpa. One day when Great Grandpa (my grandpa) was mowing the lawn he came across a pumpkin plant. He went ahead and let it grow and just mowed around it all summer.

When Grandpa called and asked if we wanted to come out and pick them, we agreed! Of course by the time we got there it was almost dark, and I don’t play with my camera enough to figure out how to work it right at dusk. (If you have tips on using a DSLR at dusk please email me!!!!)

 
Dahrran & MacKenzie searching through the weeds to find them!

Grandpa had his lawnmower cart and so he brought it over so we could put all the pumpkins in it.

      The girls showing off their pumpkins. Grandpa was great, picked himself a few out, and then sent the rest home with us!