October Highlights

As I wrote in my previous post (3 weeks ago!!), I haven't been in the writing mode. However, tomorrow is a new month and I plan on jumping into blogging again (of course that's just a goal not absolute).

We did have a wonderful month though filled with many outings and visits with friends and family. I won't go in total detail of everything we did (since I'm summing up our month in one blog entry), but for memory sake will include the synopsis.

In the beginning of the month we headed to Zeeland's Pumpkin Fest. We've gone for the past 4 years and loved it. They have a chili cook off, barn yard animals to pet, pie eating contest, and a bunch of games for the kids to play. The best part is that it's primarily free! Next we had my old college roomate and her family visit for the weekend. This was a true treat since we haven't seen each other in over 2 years. We had no problems catching up as if it were just yesterday. The weekend was complete with painting pumpkins, getting in a game of golf (for the guys), and having a bonfire. Their little girl, Ella, fit right in and seemed to become friends quickly with our girls. At times they played so nicely together, we didn't even remember we had children in the house! We tried sneaking my hubby's birthday in amidst the company too, unfortunately other than a cake it was sadly under celebrated.

Katie, painting her orange pumpkin....orange!

Kyra put the candy corn on herself!

The following weekend we had another college roomate and her family come to visit. We headed to the apple orchard and picked apples. Of course we went on one of the 80 degree days, so it didn't quite give us that fall festival type of feel. Of course at least we didn't have to worry about jackets either! And with those apples (along with many my father in-law has given us...he loves to give us seconds from a local farm), we have made apple pie, applesauce, apple dumplings, and apple compote for pancakes. I guess you could say we haven't exactly been shrinking by our consumption of desserts.

The girls at the apple orchard

Finally, the girls and I went for a visit to Chicago to visit my family. Unfortunately they didn't get a whole lot of time to visit their cousins since our family seemed to get stuck with some kind of diahrrea bug, but we still had a good time. The girls dressed up early in their Halloween costumes and were able to take part in the town's Batfest parade. They enjoyed playing more games, watching all the other kids galavant in their costumes, and listen to Halloween stories at the library.

Yes, it was a good month, full of family activities. And as the upcoming holidays approach quickly, I'm sure there will be many more fun times. The quickly descending chill in the air and husband fervantly working to harvest the corn before the frost sets in, tells me that I need to be starting on my Christmas lists, cookies baking ideas, and cards. November, here we come!

Bloggy Woes

I have definitely been writing less and less the past few months. And I'd like to say that I've been so busy and haven't had time to blog, or that I am putting my time into new projects or spending more time with family. But, unfortunately that's not it. There have been so many thoughts stirring in my head that I could write down and share, but I haven't felt like sharing. Part of me is reserved, thinking those thoughts are too deep to share with the world or that I want to keep those memories of certain things we've done selfishly to myself. Part of me is lazy, thinking I would rather sit on the couch and watch L*aw and Order. And yet another part of me is stumped, simply thinking I don't know how to describe the thoughts and events that have been occurring these last few months.

And yet another part of me feels guilty for not writing. Not because I haven't been keeping my few readers updated on my life, but because I had set out to keep a record of the joyous things that happen on a daily routine. I want my children to look back at some of the the entries I have written and laughed at the things they said or bloopers that I did, or places we visited. I also want an outlet or a time set aside so that I can reflect on the tiny blessings that occur on a daily basis. God has given me so many things to be thankful for, and yet there are so many days that I get down in the dumps wondering why He gave me life. What is my purpose here on Earth (okay, don't answer that...because I know every Christian's purpose is to serve God and be a light unto others so that we may lead others to Christ....but I was thinking beyond that)? Anyway, I am getting way off course here. My point is, God has set so many great things in my life (even if it is a small thing in my daily routine, like the fact that I didn't forget all the items on my grocery list...which sadly, seems to happen a lot), and I need to focus on those things. After all hasn't it been said that how your day goes depends on 90% of your attitude? I hope I haven't created a grim picture either. I haven't been depressed or had a poor attitude for all of 3 months, but I have gotten away from focusing on the reason I began this blog in the first place. And that was to embrace the person God made me to be, to focus on the small blessings in my daily life, and to make small positive changes in my life that makes me a better person. After all, that's why I am a rose in the making.

Wordless Wednesday

Just a few pics of some cutie pies to brighten this gray day!

This is the first time I've ever curled Kyra's hair (it was picture day today).

Hammin it up for the cam.

It took about 10 tries to get her to sit this still!